Jailbreak
by Curious-George5498
Summary: Sango's gotten herself into trouble when she killed the possessed cheif of a village, but no one beleives the cheif was possesed. In jail, she meets an interesting man in the cell beside her own. This couldn't possibly be..Bankotsu? AUish, fuedal era. SB
1. Meet Bankotsu

Hah. And you thought a wild animal ate me.

No, no...on the contrary, i was actually writing a story. This one.

Here's me...right here...**not** being eaten by a wild animal.

Anyway, no, **Blood Lust** is still up and running...its just taking a rest, like a break. And heck, since it's summer, let's call it a 'Summer Break', just for kicks. This story will be finished by the end of summer break ((MY summer break)), or even earlier, then once school starts i will ironically start on Blood Lust again. ((Ironic, because i felt like it being ironic. Feel the power of being an authoress-in-training. Raww.))

By the way, me, being a spoiled brat ((pinches own cheek unmercifully)) updated this story too early. I had PROMISED myself i wouldnt put ANY chapters of this up UNTILLL, until, i had finished writing the whole story first. Unfortunatley for me, i'm still a spoiled brat, and put up the first chapter.

I told myself, "Boogars. i would REALLY like to update SOMETHING on ff(dot)net." Shifty eyes. "And Jailbreak's already beta'd...well what's been written so far." Sneaky me.

**Yeah, so you all ((i was so tempted to say yall for a second there)) ((wipes brow)) should thank _Crimson Kaoru_, my best ff(freakin dot)net buddy, for beta-ing this so far. I love her, she's just too cool. **Yayy...Kaoru-chaan!

Enjoy the read.

Face: **:D**

-Monica

PS: While i was writing this, all i could think of was **Captian Jack freak'n Sparrow**. Lovin Pirates of the Caribbean 1&2, baby. meow. So Bankotsu is very...Captian-Jack-Sparrow-ish, in his own _Bankotsu-ish_ way. --Dont worry it changes over the course of chapters.--Oh, also, the setting the jail setting for Pirates of the Caribbean is used as the opening scene. Yay, and stuff. Also some other Pirates of the Caribbean allusions, see if you can find them. And if you point them out, i'll hit you.

* * *

It was aggravating, really. Having him stare like that. 

Sango looked away, an irritated expression on her face. Only now, she could see the larger cage of men in the corners of her eyes, their own gaze upon her. In the end, Sango whirled another ninety degrees, facing the stone wall.

Her chin slowly started to droop from its high composure after a series of minutes, as did her squared shoulders. Soon enough, her back slumped, and she let her forehead meet the wall as she sighed.

"Even as my back is turned I can still feel your eyes," she declared to the one-man cell beside hers. The only thing that separated the two cells were a column of tightly placed bars.

"I wasn't lookin' at you."

Out of curiosity her head turned to look over her shoulder. Sango found him sitting Indian-style right in front of the bars that separated him from freedom. His clothed knees touched the steel while his right elbow stood against his knee, holding up his chin while the other arm reached beyond the bars, allowing his fingers to scrape the small item he held against the bricked floor—he seemed quite bored. The expression on his face reminded her solely of her younger brother when he had absolutely nothing to do, with not a single thought in his head.

Before she could notice, his playful scraping ceased and his light indigo eyes swiveled to the left corners, looking at the imprisoned woman.

"_Who's_ lookin' at who, now?"

With that Sango's head snapped in place, her eyes fastened on the brick wall, her back supported with newfound adrenaline to hold up a straight spine.

The man's eyes lingered on the woman's back for a few more seconds, watching the lantern, placed so inconveniently outside their cells, use it's light to dance off her form. Soon enough his eyes turned back to the floor, and his mindless scraping began again.

Once she heard the scraping sound ring through the jail, she let the air from her lungs out through her nostrils as her back slackened. Sango's eyes reopened after the heavy breath and looked at nothing in particular. Before she knew it, she started thinking of just how she came to be in a jail like this.

That's right, as of late; she had been on a search for her younger brother. It seemed as if many had seen him, but not cared to remember which way he might have went.

Sango sighed while she let her forehead rest against the cold brick again once her fingers were finished raking through her hair.

Just recently she arrived at this godforsaken town in hopes. A few days later, the town was in chaos as a few demons attacked. Not wanting to cause too much attention, she left the duty of killing the demons to the town's warriors. _Of course_, what no one knew, beside herself, was that the chief was possessed, and when everyone excused his absence for just laziness or lack of rest, Sango knew better. And _of course_, being in a riled up state already, Sango didn't hesitate killing the man. And _of course_, because of her foolish acts and rather senseless forgetting of showing just how much the chief was possessed, everyone thought her a killer of their leader, and that she should be thrown in jail until the death penalty is decided upon, whether its by the gallows or shot in public, or some other variations she wasn't familiar with. Ironically, the chief's only job that he did quite well was dealing _death_ penalties. So even though she did dig her own grave, she also bought herself some time.

As a demon slayer, Sango had proclaimed her origins to the council, but they wouldn't hear it. No matter how much she argued that their chief was possessed—it never mattered. She was here against her own will. Now, she was stuck in a cell—waiting to die. Of course, she wouldn't take that lying down. She would rather fight and die than sit here and allow the death to come to her.

Thankfully, they put her in a cell alone, probably because out of everyone in the jail, she was the only female. Across from her was a larger cell holding five to ten men at the same time, and like the dogs they were, they just couldn't stop making noise. A cell just like hers in capacity and size was connected to her own, which held only one man. This man had on armor of a rich warrior, and his clothing was pure and clean, only consisting of grays, whites, and a dark blue. He had long indigo hair, which he neatly pulled into a braid trailing down his spine. The dancing light worked wonders on him as they brought out muscle definition—probably making his cuts bigger than they were. The man's eyes were hard and dark in the fire's light, only sparking once looked upon.

As for herself, Sango also had long hair that she just recently took out from its ponytail atop her head. She was placed in the same dirty clothes she came with, meaning she was stuck in the dark and tight slayer suit until she could find a way to escape. The slayer had already stripped of her magenta armor the day before, finding the necessity lost.

Her eyes moved to the men in the cell across from her, finding their new target: a stray dog. Why they found such interest in it, she would never know. Abruptly, she heard the man inside the cell beside her start to laugh.

"You'll have better luck having Kami come save you than that dog."

She studied the dog, only to find the jail cell's keys all put together with a single steel ring—currently being snatched by the dog's teeth. The dog seemed to enjoy the attention it got from the whistling men, and sat there joyously watching their hope rise with each of the dog's movements.

Of course, having a neko demon as a pet, Sango **knew **how to call an animal to her. Knowing the dog was having fun; she'd wait a while before calling it to her and freeing herself.

It was a few more moments of loud calling and whistling pointed at the dog before a man came down the dark stairs, seemingly not even seeing the dog, and dropped a tray of food in front of each cell. The moment the food came for Sango, her hand slipped out of the bars and rebelliously pushed it towards the men across from her.

The man then spit down at her, narrowly missing her hand before retreating up the stairs. She sneered at him the whole way.

"Well, if you're going to share, you should have pushed it here…" The man in the cell appeared to almost…pout. Sango looked for his own tray food, finding that he didn't even get one.

"You're not fed?"

"Dead men don't need food, they say. Their logic is actually kind of funny." The man stared at her.

"Keh!" Came the snarling voice from a man from the other cell, "Don't complain! You don't even deserve your own cell, Banko!"

"…It's Bankotsu," Bankotsu whispered dejectedly under his breath.

This man was almost childish! Sango rose an eyebrow at his antic before turning to the other man in the cell, who was currently stuffing his mouth.

"Why does he deserve it?"

"Well, miss; he's probably killed more than all of us combined! Haven't you heard… this mercenary here is the leader of the Shichinintai."

"From the fabled legend of beings resurrected? The man who's killed over a thousand demons and a thousand humans?"

"Don't make me blush, now," Bankotsu remarked from his cell, his humor being quite lame.

Another prisoner spoke up: "No one has ever been able to get away from his legendary Banryuu."

"Banryuu?" Sango wondered aloud, having heard of it before.

"In fact, no one has ever seen Banryuu long enough to survive and spread the word."

Bankotsu started to write meaningless messages into the ground with his forefinger, clearly bored. "I wonder how one would know about my Banryuu, then…" he set is gaze on the prisoners, "If no one's escaped."

"…" The prisoners then exchanged looks, as if a bit confused themselves.

Rolling her eyes, Sango sighed. Before she could retort, a man called out to her from the other cell.

"Hey, what's a young woman like you in 'ere for? Bein' all alone in that cell… it's a sign of the damned." He looked pointedly at Bankotsu, who was currently picking at his teeth.

"Well, I seem to have murdered the chief of this town…"

Silence filled the jail, even to the point where the dog stopped panting and slipped its slimy tongue back in its mouth. Even Bankotsu turned his head, interested.

"Remarkable, and how did you do it?" another asked.

Sango smiled sheepishly at the man, wondering how he could be proud for such a deed. Then again, she was in a room filled with men who had done a lot of bad deeds… maybe they met here everyone once in a while and tried to best each other?

"W-well he was possessed."

"True, being a sloth is quite the sin now-a-days," Bankotsu spoke up lazily.

"No, I'm being literal. He was possessed by a demon, a raccoon. So I threw my Hiraikotsu, and sliced him in half."

"…Hiraikotsu? I've heard stories," a prisoner spoke up. "You're a demon slayer?"

Sango nodded, a proud smile forming at the corners of her lips.

* * *

Conversation hadn't gotten any more exciting after that. She was quiet now as they retorted to the dog for conveyance. Indeed they tried as hard as they could to call the animal over, even waved a few scraps of food they themselves had not dared to eat. 

The mercenary was lying on his back, one knee bent while the other crossed over it with his arms acting as his pillow. She couldn't tell if he were asleep or if he was merely resting his eyes.

The dog had gotten tired as well and fell asleep in the corner, facing the opposite direction of the prisoners. It was as if the dog wanted to trick them into thinking it was still awake, so they'd eat their heart out trying to call it over. How unfortunate.

"You're Sango, right?"

The voice startled her into making her whip her head to look at him. His words sunk in, and she wondered just how obvious it was. But maybe he had known her before? Perhaps Hiraikotsu had been well known before she attained it?

"Hai. How'd you know?"

"Your brother's lookin' for you."

Her hands formed into fists as she quickly crawled to the bars that separated the two imprisoned. She grabbed the bars and attempted to awaken him with a shake to the steel, as if thinking they'd actually move. "How do you know him? Where is he!"

"Yeah, we knew each other. Even traveled together for a while before he left to try and find you. Of course that gave me a chance to live freely once again… when I finally reached a town, I drowned myself in sake. After that, boy, I was so drunk I—"

"Please spare me. Where did my brother say he went?"

Bankotsu opened his eyes, giving her an offended look. "Do you always do that? I was in the middle of a story."

"Did he go home? When did you two lose touch?"

He stared at her desperate form for another few seconds before looking away. "Men _die_ at your feet don't they?"

Blushing for the first time in a while, Sango replaced her embarrassment with ferocity. "Can't you just answer the question!"

The mercenary smirked at her reaction, loving the response from the woman. He shrugged, closing his eyes and feigning sleep.

"It's not possible to fall asleep so quickly in such an environment."

"Then maybe if you shut your mouth and turn around, it'd be a lot easier," he murmured, followed by a loud yawn.

"I won't let you sleep until you answer," Sango retorted, her hands on her hips.

There was silence between the two, as if he was testing her to see how long she'd sit there and stare. And stare she did. After a bit she even started to glare, which felt as if swords were grinding into his back. Finally, not before long, he sighed, obviously disgruntled, and sat up rubbing his eyes with one hand as the other supported him.

"I would have killed you by now, annoying wench." Somehow Sango felt satisfied with that and waited for him to answer.

"The kid followed me around for a while, and we did the partner thing. Fight crime and give children candy, you understand." His sarcasm made her narrow her eyes, which was painfully horrible to watch.

"Er… anyway, once I finished with a village in the North," he pointed somewhere to the east, unbeknownst to him, "we claimed to have remembered hearing someone say something about a boomerang-wielding woman looking for a kid his age, so he went back."

"Went back where?"

"…South?" He instinctively pointed to the floor. There was silence between the two, and as if picking up her shock, he waved his hands, "No, no—he didn't die!"

Sango let out the air she took in from a silent gasp and massaged her chest bone, thankful.

Finally, she awkwardly thanked him and let him sleep on the hard ground. Turning away, Sango started to fill in the blanks he might have left in his story with knowledge of her own, beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

* * *

The light from the rising sun slippedbetween the bars lined on a window, awaking Sango. Mumbling her way through the extra yawns and such, Sango heard the chatter of the men across from her as they ate. 

'Food was served already?' Sango started to blink away the blur in her eyes from having just woken up. 'How long was I asleep?'

Catching on, Sango looked around to find the rogue besides her lying on his back, eyes open and very much awake. Her gaze then moved ahead of her, facing her very own tray of food placed infront of her cell.

"…That was quite courteous…" Sango mumbled under her breath, having noticed the guard had left her a tray without even being awake.

A loud, purposeless sigh was heard from her side and she turned to see Bankotsu laying on his side, elbow propping his head up and staring at her with a bored expression.

"It's times like these I wish I were a woman. If you haven't noticed, you get more food on your tray than the tray served for 10 men." He was then surprised to find two rolls of bread being thrown to him from said woman before she pushed the rest of the food to the men across from her. "Right attitude, wrong environment." Bankotsu started chewing the loaf.

Sango gave him a perplexed look, so he went on. "Now the other prisoners wont have the heart to forgive you if you leave them whilst you escape." The girl was staring at him now, rather plainly. "What? Didn't you know the key to a man's heart is his stomach?" Bankotsu took another large bite from the bread, "By the way, many thanks for the bread. I'd make you my wife if we both weren't on death row."

The woman shook her head as she chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind," Sango commented, making Bankotsu laugh lightly. 'Interesting sense of humor,' Sango thought, sarcastically.

Sango was about to sigh contently when she suddenly remembered what the man had just said…

"How did you know I was going to escape?"

"Hm?" Bankotsu looked up at her after gobbling down the last crumbs of bread. "Well, doesn't anyone at least try to?"

She quirked an eyebrow up at him, "…You said it like you knew I'd succeed, though."

Bankotsu smiled sheepishly at her. "Just a little confidence boost."

Sango got a bit apprehensive, but remained quiet as she continued to study him. He just kept getting more and more suspicious to her…

'Could it be…that by asking that question the way I did, I clarified any doubts of me escaping. …Impossible, he cannot be that smart.'

* * *

It was probably a while after noon by now, for the sun had gone from one side of the window to the other. Sango had spent most of the day simply lying on her back—or so it seemed. She had been planning her quite amateur sounding, she admitted, escape for a while now. 

Being an impatient person, she approved of the idea of starting a bit early. With that, Sango sat up and started moving over to the bars.

Her sudden movement awoke Bankotsu from his staring session with the ceiling. He looked on curiously as she sat by the bars and appeared to be looking for something.

"What're you lookin' for?"

"…That mangy dog…" She mumbled under her breath. In the next moment her eyes widened slightly, probably meaning she had found it… er, the dog.

"Uh…" Sango thought over what to do before she started patting the ground, catching the dog's attention. "Ok…now…"

Two claps, a couple pounds of the floor and a low-pitched whistle later, the dog was trotting its way over to her.

With a wide smirk slicked over his face, Bankotsu had scooted as close as he could to her cell. "That was quite a delicious show there."

Sango felt her own pride swell, but she maintained it and pet the dog's head lovingly as she slowly snatched the keys from its mouth. The girl sighed; looking relived, before standing and retreating to the back of her cell to fetch her armor with the keys dangling from the large ring on her wrist.

Once she was finished strapping on her cuirass, Sango walked over to the lock and simply unlocked the door. One could see the look of satisfaction on her features when she closed the gate and started strolling to the chamber all the way across the corridor.

"Oi…oi! You are getting me out of here, aren't you?" Bankotsu stood on his knees, watching her rather pathetically.

Sango smiled as she opened the door to the small room and took out a rather monstrous looking boomerang made of pure demon bone.

"The Hiraikotsu…" one man murmured from the other crowded cell.

"Hey, can you see my Aibou in there? Is she ok? She's not on the floor or anything is she?" Bankotsu called out, having what part of his head that could actually fit through the bars, stick out.

Sango rechecked the closet and found a mighty looking sword. Her expression suddenly turned amazed—obviously not having heard Bankotsu in the slightest. She let Hiraikotsu rest upon the other wall and turned to grab the legendary Banryuu…

"No… no, no…please don't touch it!" Bankotsu pouted from his cell. Unfortunately for him, the next thing he saw was the slayer grasping the Banryuu by the sides and holding it halfway out of the cluttered chamber.

"Amazing…" She ran a hand down the face of the carefully crafted halberd and saw her own reflection shine through. "And it's so heavy…I cant even lift it off the floor."

The other prisoners also appeared to be staring in astonishment; in fact, the only one sulking was Bankotsu. "Please be careful," he reminded her.

"It's amazing how many times that sword has cut through flesh and bone, but it still shines like it is new…" a prisoner commented.

Bankotsu's head snapped towards the voice, "That's because I spend hours cleaning it everyday, baka!" It was funny how that simple comment got him riled up.

By the time Bankotsu's irked gaze was set on Sango again, she was closing the door, Banryuu safely inside. Sango pulled Hiraikotsu close before pulling the strap over her shoulder.

"Well," Sango started walking back, heading for the window that would give her freedom with a smile. "It was a… uh… nice experience meeting you all. Thanks for the company."

Making her way over, she almost stumbled after feeling Bankotsu grab her ankle.

"…Bankotsu, let go."

"Why would I let go if I grabbed you for a reason? Anyway, what do you plan to do when you escape?"

"You know the answer to that already, baka." Sango tried kicking away his hand, but his grip was too fierce.

"And how do you plan to find this beloved boy of yours? Do you know where he is?"

"That's why I'm going to go _looking_," Sango replied. "Now do you mind—"

"But with all those guards after you, you don't honestly think you have the leisure time to merely look, right? If you find him quickly, then you'd be able to both escape from the guards and have your brother securely tucked under your wing. But if you took too much time trying to find your way to him, the guards will easily catch up to you, finding you before you can even see a wisp of that boy's hair."

Sango had his words circling in her head, having them all be true. Soon enough he freed her ankle and laid back on his elbows.

"Well good luck with that, anyway." He was obviously just trying to make her admit to needing him. How proud.

'But he might know where Kohaku is…'

"Don't get killed out there." Bankotsu said with a knowing grin.

'I definitely need him to accompany me long enough to find Kohaku…but he just wants me to say that I need him… that's something I cannot even will myself do.' Sango turned away from him, heading towards the window.

"I don't need luck, renegade. And don't worry, I won't die."

Quickly Bankotsu snapped off his elbows and stood, refusing to believe that she was really going to leave him there. "O-oi! Aren't you going to free me?"

Sango smirked.

"Are you begging?"

Silence filled the air between them.

Bankotsu sighed, defeated. "Maybe…"

Sango's laughter filled the jail as she turned, going to the lock on Bankotsu's cell.

* * *

_I can see you with nothing on, feelin' on me before you bring that on..._

_Bring that on?_

_You know what I mean._

_Girl, i'm a freak you shouldn't say those things..._

_I'm just tryin' to get in your brain, to see if you can work me the way you say..._

Sorry, felt like breakin' into a song that i hate to the depths of my heart. I heard that's normal.

Anyway, PLEASE review. ((now inverse. Let's see how the sentance changes.))

Anyway, please REVIEW! ((Amazing.))

**-M**

PS: I have 8 bug bites on my ass.

PSS: Meow.


	2. Jailbreak

Hah. Chapter two.

WHY AM I UPDATING? Jeez, i just cant keep away, huh.

Anyway, i've already written up to the third/fourth to last chapter. So i guess now IS a good time to be uploading me stuff. Yay.

Oh, and thank you all for your reviews! Thanks.

One last note, thank Crimson-Kaoru-chaann, my good buddy, who beta'd this story AND, ANND, gave me multiple ideas for this story. In fact, this was supposed to be a Oneshot of the first and last chapter, but she persuaded me to write a full-chaptered story. THANK her. Unless you dont like me, then curse her. lol.

-M

PS: My line seperater isnt working. Deal with zero's.

**00ooo00000ooo00**

Both Sango and Bankotsu were breathing heavy as they leaned against a wall, careful not to make too much sound.

"How do you plan to hide such a large halberd like that?" Sango asked incredulously under her breath with a pant.

Bankotsu mocked her look, "How do YOU plan to hide that ridiculously large boomerang… thing? It's such a vibrant color too!"

"Well your halberd can easily reflect the light being flared and practically give them our location!"

A few seconds of unrefined mumbles: "…Fine!" Bankotsu pulled out a large amount of cloth hidden behind his chest plate and impaled Banryuu's half-moon hilt into the ground, letting it stand on its own. After, Bankotsu slid the purple cloth over the blade and Sango guessed that to be it's sheath. She was surprised at the expensive looking fabric and fancy binding string.

"Happy, woman?"

"Obviously! Yes! You know, you're just trouble for me here."

"Well _thank _you,"

"No—you're supposed to say you're sorry!"

"Excuse you miss. But I haven't said sorry, _sincerely_, to someone in 10 years, and I ain't about to say it to you."

"Hah." Sango smirked, "I wouldn't believe that someone like you would keep such an idiotic tradition as that. What, saving it for someone special? Hm?"

She was teasing him now.

"Maybe—why? Jealous?"

Sango was about to retort when an unexpected red flare lit the sky just above their heads, which meant the fire-lit arrows would be heading their way soon.

"Let's retreat into the forest, it'd be easier to lose them," Sango suggested, conveniently forgetting about their current quarrel for now, before running off towards the trees, not even waiting for him. She knew he'd catch up if he wanted to.

Sango, upon entering the forest, jumped over a fallen branch and immediately turned left to hide behind a wide trunk. Two seconds later, Bankotsu jumped over the branch and hesitated, seeming to look for her. She noticed his mouth start to open as if about to call out to her.

"I'm here, baka!" Sango hissed, and with a turn of head he saw her—quite surprised. After she pulled him out of sight he congratulated her on knowing how to be deathly quiet when needed to be.

"It's nothing." Sango waved him off as she peered around the tree. "I can't tell if they're close."

Quite unexpectedly she saw his hand grab a strand of her hair from the corner of her eye. She turned and faced him, "What're you—"

"They're using stealth." Bankotsu suddenly had a serious look on his face. He looked up, finding the remains of a silent flare above their head. "They're firing silent flares to find us."

"…How'd you know?"

"You had a spark in your hair and didn't know it." He grinned, "Lucky for you, I extinguished it before all your hair burned off." The childish man started to chuckle at the thought of a bald Sango.

Rolling her eyes she tightened her hold on Hiraikotsu's strap and started jogging past the trees in front of her. "If the flares are following us, then we better go. And if we cant hear the flares in the first place, lets just keep running forward."

"Good idea," Bankotsu remarked, following after her.

**00ooo00000ooo00**

Although it seemed like a good idea back then, it was starting to become an exhausting one. Both warriors were panting heavily, both resting behind a tree.

They weren't the only ones running for their lives. It appeared that the guards were getting faster and faster in their pursuit. But it was already very dark, and one could say nature was on the runaway's side, thankfully.

It was only a second's notice before Sango was grabbed by the collar and hoisted into the mercenary's arms. She looked back to the spot she was just standing in to see a ray of light shining from the soldier's lantern. That was such a close encounter it made her heart skip a beat.

Sure, the mercenary was probably used to these deadly games of hide and seek; but she never had reason to hide from authorities before. Especially since she was supposed to be an authority figure herself, being a demon slayer. Sango glanced up to see Bankotsu, beads of sweat sliding down his temple, and noticed how his teeth were clenched. She wondered why he looked so serious.

It wasn't before long when she also started hearing the steps of guards closing in. The fact that she could hear the steps against soil meant they are very close. Sango watched the lantern's light to see their movements on the barks of trees and the forest's floor. The woman cursed, noticing the light was getting brighter… meaning they were getting much closer.

Sango found herself wrapping her own arms around Bankotsu's middle as an attempt to eliminate any space, also eliminating the possibility of an inch of their clothing of body that might give away their hiding spot behind the tree. In reaction to that, Bankotsu let his arms cross above his shoulders and leaned his head in towards hers, his mouth quite close to her ear.

"Step on my feet," she was sure he had whispered. It was hard in the first place, having him so close—it gave her goosebumps—but to step on his feet would practically leave no breathing room. Sango nodded albeit her doubts and slowly stepped on his own feet, his arms tightening around her to make sure she wouldn't fall backwards.

Soon enough the guards closed in towards the tree they were hiding behind, lanterns held high for sight. With Bankotsu's temple to her own, Sango could feel his perspiration leak onto her own face, slicking down her cheek. Without warning, Bankotsu started to slowly step sideways, circling the tree and making sure they were both on the exact opposite side of the tree compared to the pair of guards. Being caught off guard, Sango almost slipped off his feet but caught her balance and held on tighter. The steps were slow and long, for Bankotsu wanted to make the least amount of noise, as well as moving slow enough to not cause any sudden attention. Sango knew that because the two of them were moving so slowly, if the guards decided to circle the tree—obviously in a quicker fashion—they'd be doomed.

It was mind blowing, how close they were to getting caught—and maybe even getting killed on sight. Sango didn't know what their orders were, but in her own village runaways would indeed be killed on sight. She felt very paranoid and grabbed handfuls of Bankotsu's haori in her fists. The woman ignored the tingling feeling in her stomach when she noticed that she could feel his warm and soft skin under the cloth against her knuckles.

They both decided to listen to the guard's conversation. The guards wouldn't be there too long, they claimed, and after just merely swung the lantern to the left and right before turning around and going back.

"I was sure I heard something back there."

"Maybe you were just imaging it… with your wife's baby on the way and everything… stress, maybe. Besides, this place was already looked over, so it's alright."

"True."

Sango and Bankotsu stood in their same position until their racing hearts calmed down once the guards left. Now that the position wasn't so stiff and they both relaxed a little, the position was actually quite…comfortable. Sango never had someone hold her so close before—it was soothing.

The thoughts squirming in her mind just now were deposited once she realized just _what_ she was thinking, and about _whom_ she was thinking.

It was after another few seconds before they separated. Hastily moving away to dust herself off, obviously trying to hide the blush on her face, Sango noted that she had never been so flushed in her life before.

"This isn't going to work," Bankotsu remarked quietly with a lasting sigh. He backed off the tree and gazed back over his shoulder. "I don't know whether to stay here or leave."

"…If we stay, they won't come here, since it's already been checked," Sango replied.

"But the fact that the guy said this place has already been checked before they came, and they _still_ checked it, won't assure us any. Plus we'll end up camping out here…" He took a look around, having it not only hard to see the slayer, but also everything else. "Honestly, I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Well if we move around, we might encounter more soldiers."

Bankotsu gazed down at where he suspected her eyes to be. "I'd rather take that risk than this one."

Thinking about it, Sango wondered if he was really trustworthy enough to make his own decisions. Or at least, decisions that actually counted in conversations. "…Fine. But do you have a plan?"

Bankotsu smirked. "A good one."

His confidence flooded through her, and she somehow felt her heart ease, even though she didn't want to believe it. Sango didn't know how, but this guy knew how to make people feel better, no matter the situation. Something in him just soothed people he wanted to be calmed.

But not wanting to seem like an ally to him just yet—or ever—Sango crossed her arms and gave him a quizzical look.

"That, I highly doubt."

His confident look dropped before he gained a comical one. "What, you don't trust me?"

"Of course not. Without you I could have snuck my way out of here already, but trying to hide you AND that Banryuu is a difficult task, you know."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, "Fine. If we get caught because of this failed plan, you can personally kill me with," he eyed the boomerang strapped to her warily, "that… scary looking boomerang of yours."

"…Sounds good." She held out her hand for a good shake, but he wagged his index finger at her, which probably meant there was going to be a catch.

"But!" And here was the catch: "If we are alive by the end of this plan, meaning it worked and saved both of our asses, then you…" He thought about it as he looked into the corners of his eyes, "You must buy me sake… a lot of it."

"…Buy you sake?"

Bankotsu nodded, sure as fire.

"Alright then," Sango replied, wavering.

The young man nodded, a grim smirk on his features as they shook on it.

**00ooo00000ooo00**

"Where are we?" Sango whispered to him.

"Watch it, you're about to step into a hot spring."

"Gyah—!" Sango then backtracked out of surprise, colliding into Bankotsu. "Either way, you make yourself a nuisance, don't you," Bankotsu retorted as he grabbed her shoulders from behind and steadied her on her feet—ignoring the glare she sent over her shoulder.

Once she stepped away from Bankotsu and faced him, she crossed her arms. "So what's this plan of yours?"

"Strip off your armor." There was a light clash as Banryuu impaled the ground so Bankotsu can use both hands. Being in close proximity her eyes slightly adjusted and saw him start to take off the metal armor on his shoulder.

"…But I have weapons—"

"Just take them off," Bankotsu told her hastily, untying his obi and having the waist-armor slide down the length of his body and drop onto the floor--which he slid into the small pile of his armor with his foot lazily.

By the time he finished, she was merely untying her shoulder armor, slow and tediously.

"Gods, woman," Bankotsu commented under his breath before grabbing the tie and undoing her obi, having her waist armor fall to her ankles.

"O-oi!" Sango suddenly moved out of his reach, and even though he couldn't see her blush in the darkness—she could definitely feel it. The burning feeling was so intense she just wished for his demise. "D-don't do that…" She was glad it was dark, but even so she hated having her waist armor slipped off. This suit was quite tight around her…hip area.

He seemed to roll his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I can't see you, so drop the insecurities."

Sango became alarmed at this, "I-I'm not insecure! It just…c-caught me by surprise."

"Fine." Bankotsu then kneeled down before her and started to slid down the pink cloth that secured her knee armor, "I'm going to help you take this off faster—so don't be surpr—"

"Gyah!" She kicked him away, having the man roll onto his curved back. Frankly, the feeling of his hands run down her leg just wasn't comforting.

"Insecure…!" Bankotsu mumbled under his breath as he rubbed his head after recovering from the sudden attack. "Can you just hurry it up?"

Finally, after all that was finished and they both held all their armor and weapons in their hands—Bankotsu took the first step and threw it all into the hot springs.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing?" Sango demanded, watching him reach for Banryuu.

"Two large-weapon-wielding people aren't so easy to hide. If we dump all our stuff into the hot spring, it'll just lay at the bottom. If we simply lay it on the floor the guards can find it and realize we were there. Then they'll just keep our stuff. And if anyone touches Banryuu—"

"Alright, alright." Sango waved the rest off. "But why our armor too?"

Bankotsu then slid Banryuu into the water, laying it on the bottom, getting his sleeve wet. "That's part of the rest of the plan."

Due to the silence, Bankotsu knew she was confused.

"Just do it."

With a sigh Sango reluctantly threw her armor, katana, and hidden weapons into the spring.

As Bankotsu went to take Hiraikotsu for her, his fingers felt the feel of soft cloth.

"What's this?" He took off the small blue nap-sack and investigated it. He bounced it in his hand, finding it quite light.

Sango took it from his hold, "It's my spare change of clothes. My traveling yukata."

"Hm." Bankotsu grabbed it back from her hands and opened the knot. "Might come in use." Bankotsu took the clothes and placed it in Sango's arms thinking that was all, when he reached once more to find a roll of gauze. "What's this for?" He held it up to his gaze, finding it interesting. It was wide for a wound bandage and was thicker cloth. Was it special for something?

He was surprised when Sango snatched it out of his hand and held it to her. "Just forget it. Anyway, put Hiraikotsu into the water." Instead, she just did it herself, contrary to her own orders.

"Well, then." Having remarkably forgotten about the mysterious roll of gauze already, Bankotsu grabbed his thick braid and rolled it until it sat atop his head. With that, he folded the blue material for the nap-sack and made a sort of hat most farmers wore under their sun hats. He actually looked as if he had very short hair this way.

Sango gazed at him awkwardly, "What are you doing?"

"Come with me." Bankotsu then turned and made his way from the springs.

**00ooo00000ooo00**

Bankotsu found a tree that appeared to be just like all the others they just passed, but suddenly decided it was a 'good' one, and sat down with his back to it.

Sango lifted a curious eyebrow at him as she draped on hand on her hip. "Tired already?"

"No, its part of my plan. " He adjusted himself, slumping slightly downward. Then Bankotsu looked up at her expecting form. "Now, you, come here."

"…What?"

His hand raised as two fingers waved for her to come closer. "Come on now, the guards could be hot on our trail."

Sango took a nervous step forward.

"Okay…now sit here." Bankotsu patted his lap.

"…What?"

Bankotsu sighed, exasperated. "Sango, can't we cooperate? I promise we'll both be alive…or whatever, by the end of this."

It didn't help that he was now smirking up at her quite insecure figure. It ridiculed her, that look on his face, and she hated it. With a plop, Sango sat on his knees, facing the trees beside him and hugged her knees together.

"That…isn't going to cut it." Bankotsu forcefully grabbed her arm and scooted her closer. "Alright now…" He eyed her legs. "Swing that one over."

'I need to straddle him!' Sango thought incredulously.

"Aw, don't tell me your going insecure again." 'It'd be easier putting her unconscious and doing it,' Bankotsu thought regretfully.

Silence.

Bankotsu shook his head, "Hey… remember after this if it doesn't work you can beat me as much as you want with that boomerang. Remember?"

'That IS true…' Sango thought.

Suddenly the back of Bankotsu's head was pushed into the bark of the tree as she placed her hand over his eyes. A wide, wolfish grin spread over his mouth at her high-leveled uncomfort and self-consciousness. The mercenary heard a swooshing noise, meaning she had successfully brought her leg over.

Removing her hand from his vision he looked at her to see a blush spread across her cheeks as she gazed off to the side.

Bankotsu chuckled at her; she was so uncomfortable. With that thought in mind, he leaned forward and slipped out of his haori, only exposing his chest.

"Wh-what are you doing!"

Without a reply he grabbed her collar and—

**Rip!**

Sango looked down to find the button holding her collar together was broken off and was even ripped farther than supposed to be, exposing the white of the cloth supporting her breasts.

"Heh, excuse that, I pulled a bit too hard."

"A bit!" The slayer's arms covered her chest as she leaned away from him. "This…ri-ridiculous!"

"Now pull it down to expose as much of your shoulders as your willing to. Unless your willing to take both arms fully out—"

"This is insane, just what are we doing! If you try anything…"

"I wont, I wont. Trust me!" He gave her a sheepish smile.

Sango, quite angered at that pitiful look, felt like screaming—but knew she had to keep quiet. The result was loud mumbles and angry sounds.

Bankotsu felt like laughing at her reaction but didn't want to make too much noise. "Sorry, sorry, Sango. I won't look, I swear." He covered his eyes with his hand as another amused smirk was wiped on his face.

"You're so… ugh!" Sango tried to repair the top, but found it impossible, having the button torn off. She reluctantly pulled it a bit lower, exposing her shoulders.

"Alright, well, once you're done doing whatever your doing, please roll up your leggings as high as they can. Please do the same with mine, since I wouldn't want to impose and actually reach over you," he replied, rather sarcastically.

Sango scoffed and did what she was told. "Now, rogue?"

Bankotsu chuckled. "I see you're still mad. Well anyway, we'll be posing as lovers who've just fallen asleep."

"…What?"

"If you could, grab your traveling yukata and hand it to me."

Sango took the cloth, shoving it in his arms, having picked up an attitude.

"Thank you." Bankotsu replied, bemused at her antics. Using both hands to hold the cloth, he told her to duck before bringing it over her head and held it loose behind her.

"Now…if you could just lean down onto me…oh and tuck your arms in to your chest to they can't see you still have cloth on your supposedly naked arms."

Sango glared, and didn't move.

"…Sango, c'mon—"

The girl moved to stand. "This is ridiculous! I will find my brother by mys—"

Suddenly they both froze as the sound of multiple feet running came to their ears.

"The guards…" Bankotsu commented under his breath. He then looked up to her, giving her an expression she knew meant 'What're you gonna do?'

Sango, gritting her teeth, ground her fist into the ground. '…Fine damnit.' She then leaned down onto him. Her cheeks flamed as they came into contact with the soft skin of his chest and thick muscles supporting them.

"Cover your face with your hair," he ordered as he moved the blanket to cover both of them, only exposing the naked parts of their forms.

They sat there for a while, unmoving and looking off into the darkness in different directions. It was a position difficult for both of them to just lay in, having it be pretty intimate.

Then— it was abrupt, but definitely visible; a flash of lantern light.

"They're here. Feign sleep," Bankotsu told her, following his own orders himself along with Sango.

A few moments later, they were both revealed in the lantern's light.

"What's that?" the leader of the three asked.

The one holding the lantern to the two was bringing up the rear of the three as they walked in a line. "Seems just a couple of drunk lovers or something, falling asleep in the middle of the forest like this."

"It's dangerous, maybe we should wake them," one said.

"No, it'll be a lesson for them not to do it again if they get caught by a pack of demons or something," the leader remarked. "Lets go!"

The other two seemed to lag behind, looking at the couple under the lantern's light. One poked the other's ribs.

"Hey, let's pick up the blanket a little and get a peep at this woman here…"

Bankotsu felt Sango's heartbeat quicken.

"Don't you have a wife?"

"…Well—"

The other man laughed, pushing him along. "C'mon, the leader is moving already."

With that, the two started trekking in the direction their leader left in.

And once they did, Bankotsu almost threw his head back and laugh out loud, for the sight before him was a pure riot.

Sango sat back up and straightened her back in white fury—probably having forgotten her top was ripped. "That man!" She scared Bankotsu by slamming her fist into the tree beside his head. "Married and still lecherous!" A couple pieces of bark poked at his cheek before falling to the ground from her punch.

Bankotsu chuckled; knowing the passion that just spouted was really rooted from the confidence of knowing they were finally clear from the guards for the night.

He was about to comment on her fiery nature when he looked again at her chest, finding the same gauze he saw rolled up in the nap-sack being used to bind her breasts.

"Ohh! So that's what the gauze was used for…"

A slap echoed through the forest, accompanied by a frantic sounding whisper, "You said you wouldn't look, lecher!"

**00ooo00000ooo00**

Hah. Sexy-tension.

-M

Next chapter shall be loonng.


	3. Here's to the Night

Sorry for the wait--i'm actually getting quite busy near the end of summer. (Translation: Just the thought of school scares me, so i hide in my closet all day long.)

Heres the third installment!

-M

PS: I made a _**SAN/BAN FANART**_ on DevArt. Go check it out, the link is on my page. If you've got an account, please give me feedback! Many more SanBan fanart to come too, so keep an eye on my work! (Other coupling included)

PSS: Is it just my computer or is the Line seperator thing not working for anyone else?

**oooo0000000oooo**

People stared, but then again, if she were put in this situation, she too would stare her heart out.

The two warriors stood at the entrance to the homely village. Sango tried to be courteous, by smiling and waving timidly at people who appeared apprehensive. Bankotsu, however, wore a stern look that only seemed to heighten people's fear of this halberd-wielding man.

"Heh." Sango tried smiling at a child staring wide-eyed at the two, but it was hard, having forced her lips into curves every other second. "Are you _trying _to scare people, or does this come naturally?"

That had been her latest attempt to get him to talk.

Bankotsu was strange today. Upon entering this village, he had attained a quiet and quite scary look to him. Sango, curious as ever, kept silent but decided on exploring with her eyes.

The man's eyes were hard, slightly narrowed and searching. For what, she could only imagine.

Sighing, reluctant to get the man out of this state, Sango merely dropped her shoulders and gazed off to the side.

Earlier that morning, Bankotsu had mentioned her brother Kohaku might be here, or at least seen here. The determined woman asked in assurance if it was true, but he then established a story of trust and… blah blah blah. After that, Sango believed the rest wasn't of much importance, knowing that with him being him—he was not to be trusted, no matter how many times he joked about it. This man could never be as reliable as he said, because then Sango would have to believe he'd been lying about being truthful. That's just how it was to her.

Kohaku couldn't have gotten far. He's just a small boy with the growing ability to wield a Kusarigama, otherwise basically know as a scythe attached by a long chain to a small metal ball.

_Oh!_

Sango then looked up to the man of many personalities. Could he possibly be looking for Kohaku?

That thought made Sango feel incredibly foolish, for that was what _she_ was supposed to be doing, not a man who just met him. Already fueled with shame, Sango began to look around as well.

As the two walked throughout the scared-silent village in a search, Bankotsu, finding the woman awfully quiet, stole a peek only to see her in mid-search.

"So you're eager to look too?"

"Of course," Sango's gaze met his, "that's why were here, right?" She smiled up at him, in return making him give it back.

The expression on his face softened and the man appeared to be filled with new vigor.

They continued on their search around the village, happening to now pass the village's food and supplies stands, the center town. Between the two, there was only comfortable silence whilst they walk side by side.

Suddenly—

"There! I found him!" Bankotsu spouted unexpectedly, and started running off in the direction he sought.

"Kohaku!" Sango followed after him in a desperate attempt to see her beloved younger brother. Soon she was right behind the mercenary and decided to pass him.

One, maybe two more moments of rushed excitement, Sango stood still, plainly gawking at what she saw.

Bankotsu, who had finally caught up, smiled at his find.

"Who would've known you were as eager as I was?" The simple man laughed heartily before walking to the stand.

"Him," Sango retorted, mimicking Bankotsu's choice of words. "By him… you meant _the man in charge of the sake stand_!"

**ooooo000000ooooo**

With a long, long sigh, Sango was unloaded of most of her money in exchange for Bankotsu's sake. But of course, they gained the gratitude of the very happy sake-selling man.

Sango dragged her feet, wondering why that amateur idea of Bankotsu's had actually worked the night before. But more importantly, why did she agree to such a bungled deal.

"Aw," Sango felt a rather blunt nudge to the side, "why so glum?"

The irked woman bore her glaring eyes up at the rhapsodic man. "I just spent most of my money on…" Her eyes darted to the half-empty bottle in his hand, as well as the seemingly duplicating number of bottles in a bag the ever-so-kind salesman gave them. "Those."

She then looked around, "And because of your scary act earlier, I highly doubt we'd be able to get a nice place to sleep."

"Meaning…"

"Meaning we're going to camp out, again."

"Again…" Bankotsu, drowning the rest of his sake in that drinking-savvy mouth of his, threw the canteen into a nearby bush.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

"Ah-hah!" Bankotsu yelled out, "There you are, woman!" In a drunken heap of smiles and sudden serious looks, only to be followed by soft chuckling, the man attempted to stand to greet the woman.

"Don't stand, you're drunk." Sango told, strangely monotonous.

The man, having already fallen down, decided to remain there and wait for her to come sit with him at the fire. "Hah, beat you to it."

Sango took Hiraikotsu off her strained back and plopped down on the log surrounding their camp's fire. Sango had her ankles parted and knees collided together, with her elbows both resting on her knees; supporting her fallen chin.

"You look down."

"Do I?" Sango's eyes looked highly sarcastic, and moved to him, seeing that his reaction had been nothing more of a blink. Dropping the sarcasm, knowing it does no effect to a drunken man, Sango's eyes averted back to the interesting fire's blaze. "I guess I was expecting more people to have seen him."

Earlier, after Sango set up camp for the two of them for that night, the woman decided to go back to the village and roam the streets, searching for someone, anyone, who might know about her brother. She had known the insecurities of leaving Bankotsu alone, while drunk, with more sake and supplies to make a fire; but she knew while busy with sake, Bankotsu wouldn't do much anything else. Well, at least she had guessed. But that much she didn't care a lot for, since her brother always came first to her.

Sango had set up camp at the bottom of a grassy hill, in between a healthy looking plain and the village. Now, after she came back from her small search, it was late afternoon and the sun was setting—giving Sango an extravagant view and a hearty feeling in her being. It would give Bankotsu a nice feeling as well, if he even knew it existed at the moment.

"Oi, Sango?"

"What?"

"…I never told you this, but I find miso soup very interesting."

Unmoving, Sango decided the sound of his voice, though filled with drunken dialogue, would be better than the lonely silence of a setting sun.

"Is that so."

"I wonder, what gives miso soup that thick…oh, what's it called"—hiccup—"that thick feeling to it." Bankotsu scooted a bit closer to the monotonous Sango.

"That's quite a thought there."

"Haven't you ever wondered too?" Bankotsu sat himself upon the same log that Sango was radiating her melancholy waves of disappointment. "I mean, really…"

"Mhmm."

"You know—WOAH!" The drunken mercenary seemed to finally notice there was a sky above his simple head. "Do you see that!"

"Sure do."

"Man, ohh…that pink thing right there—"

"A cloud."

"Yeah, that thing, looks like a stomach."

"A stomach, you say."

"Yeah…which reminds me of my stomach." The man used a fist to knock the hardness of his chest armor, hearing the dull sound over the place where his stomach was hiding. "Which then reminds me of my hunger for…"

"…"

"For…uhh…"

"Food."

"Yeah! Food. But what should I eat…oh! That reminds me of the time I met this sheep flocker"—hiccup.

"Shepherd."

"Right, a hipshard…oh you know what? That actually reminds me…did you ever hear of these Shikon shard things? Me heard that they grant your every wish." Bankotsu then, as if sly like a fox, slipped a lean arm around the girl's shoulders. "You know what my wish is…?"

"No, I don't."

Sango snapped out of her dazed and sarcastic state when she felt Bankotsu's nose close in on her cheek. Her head turned a little, seeing him give her a look that made her blush out of the corner of her eye. And having it pointed towards her made Sango so flustered in the inside…

"I would just wish… that…"--hiccup--"that…" He tried to continue.

Her head moved back, as she tried to move away from the arm draped around her shoulders.

But it was too late of a counter. Sango gasped a great amount of air as he grasped her delicate chin in his roughly textured hands. But the feel of his hand on her face would never amount to the feel of his lips on hers.

Contrary to his rough hands, his lips were soft as they moved just for her. Just to her.

Snapping out of the trance that she was about to step further into, Sango's hands found his shoulders in an attempt to push away, but by then he had already pulled back. The taste of sake filled her mouth as she timidly bit her lip.

"I wish…that I had … some miso soup."

That sentence, being so softly spoken like that infiltrated her mind and fully awoke her from the spell of his alluring eyes.

"Aw, Sango go get me some soup. Miso soup. Like miso…chicken…chickeny…" He was mumbling under his breath now. "Some chickeny-chick-chick-cow miso soouupp."

Her heart worked on overdrive after trying to revive from such a moment, but her mind came to first. It reacted wildly as she found her hand meeting his cheek in an unsightly slap.

Being quite drunk already, Bankotsu lost all balance and fell off the log, almost falling into the fire as Sango stood and hastily retreated in a heap of humiliation and foolishness. Thankfully, Bankotsu rolled out of the way with a muffled, "Misouououo!"

**ooooo000000ooooo**

And then there was one.

By the time Bankotsu recovered from his roll away from certain death, he noticed how alone he was…

His current position, which he had so miraculously landed into, was merely sitting on his posterior, hands behind him holding his spine up while his legs were childishly laid out infront of him, occasionally swinging his toes side to side.

"Ow." Bankotsu furrowed his brows, wondering why his cheek hurt so badly all of a sudden—he had totally forgotten what just happened—and rubbed his cheek. But again, his mind thought quicker than anything in this current intoxicated state, and he pondered on to something new.

"Now where is…" Bankotsu searched around, eyes looking. "Mwah-hah!" His hand dropped from it's cupping hold on his warm cheek.

The boy looked up the short hill, having found the girl he was hoping to find. With her back curved as she hugged her knees, all that the boy could see, anything that might tell him of her mood, was her squared shoulders.

"She seems mad."

Bankotsu started to laugh suddenly, "I think I'll pay her a little visit…" After a couple of attempts at standing, he sighed, "Well once I get my sea legs again."

**ooooo000000ooooo**

Sango's knees, being close to her chest, were cold. Her hands, while supposed to be hugging her goosebump-covered knees, were actually cupping her cheeks as they continued to heat up and redden. The woman was surprised that steam wasn't starting to float off her skin…

"That man…" Sango narrowed her eyes. "All he brings… is…"

"Ohh! So that's what the gauze was used for…" 

"Is…"

_Contrary to his rough hands, his lips were soft as they moved just for her. Just to her._

"Is… HUMILIATION!" she nearly screamed, remembering specific 'embarrassing' moments between the two runaways.

Sango's hands dropped from her cheeks and sat atop her knees as she let her chin rest. The earlier proclamation took the rest of her burning fire for the rest of the day. She couldn't help but look at the scenery before her through disdainful eyes.

"That was my first kiss too…" she mumbled under her breath. Sango felt the wind pick up again, bringing loose strands of her russet hair with it. The taijiya moved to brush the strands away from her vision. "I bet that was probably another last count of a thousand for him…" she said, scoffing at the probable truth.

"1000 humans…1000 demons…now his 1000th kiss."

Sango ignored the blades of grass that tickled her ankles as she furrowed her brows in thought.

"Although… he IS drunk." She doubted he even knew there was such thing as a 5th number at this point. "Maybe… if I don't even count it as a kiss, then it won't count. I mean, he wont even remember it happened in the morning… right?"

The hopeful girl closed her eyes as she remembered just how drunk the mercenary was. She found it amusing just how funny a drunk he really was. And that even though he had no responsibility for anything that he did in this state, he was still as harmless as anything.

Sango's lips curved into a smile as she remembered how far he had rolled after she slapped him. Then started to laugh as she remembered hearing him yell "Misououo" while she angrily stomped away.

She laughed harder… and harder… and harder. Sango laughed so hard the unfamiliar sensation of a burning stomach came to her. She found that her legs had straightened out and moved to cross, indian-style, while her hands gripped her ankles.

It had been a couple minutes later when Sango started to settle down. Once she sighed in contentment, her slowing laughter was joined with another set of laughter.

Quite startled, Sango turned to see Bankotsu's knees. Obviously following them up, she saw Bankotsu laughing and although that was unexpected in itself, she was actually surprised that he got up the hill on his own.

With a smile, Sango asked, "And why are you laughing?"

He intentionally tumbled to her side and lay on his back with his head in her lap. "The sound of your laugh is just so funny, I started cracking up." The childish man started chuckling again.

Sango's smile was immediately wiped off her face. "Jerk."

As he settled down from his jest, not noticing how harmful the silence could be with Sango there, Bankotsu's eyes gleamed at the look she was giving him. "Don't feel bad." He patted her cheek, having no reaction from the ice queen. "I'm sure a lot of people enjoy your laugh."

Sango rolled her eyes, finding his forehead tattoo quite interesting. With his bangs being swept to both side of his forehead, the piece of rebel art was very visible. From his forehead, her eyes subtly lowered as she looked into his azure ones once the man started to talk again.

"Isn't it strange? The thing above you is getting darker…"

The taijiya realized he was talking about the sky, but it didn't change her line of view. His eyes were so… innocent looking. A turquoise blue mixed with amethyst, she decided as the strange hue of blue. Her eyes descended, down a narrow and straight bridge of a nose and past the nostrils. It was strange, how dark and tanned he was. Was he foreign? A hybrid of heritages maybe? Sango stopped as she gazed down at his lips. They weren't plump, but they weren't thin either. The pair looked rather stern yet soft and she found herself smiling as she watched his own lips curve into a smirk at something he said—something obviously she wasn't listening to.

"So?"

"…Uh, what?" Sango replied, snapping out her reverie.

He laughed, bringing out his last two bottles of sake. Instead of repeating what he said, Bankotsu just thrust one of the bottles into her hands and sat up.

Sango looked from Bankotsu to the bottle, then back to Bankotsu. "Um—"

She was silenced when the sound of a bottle opening came to her ears.

"C'mon, open yours."

"I don't think I—"

"Aw, c'mon, Sango! Just one sip."

Sango was silent, and, with a smile Bankotsu took the top off her bottle before lifting his own, waiting for her to raise hers as well. She hesitantly complied and heard the clinking of battles once she raised hers to his.

"Here's to the night… let it forever be as dark and mysterious as life in the darkness."

"That's a strange toast."

"Is it really? If so, you don't have to drink to it." Bankotsu gave her a mysterious look before downing a few large gulps into his awaiting throat.

_Is this man really intoxicated?_ Sango wondered.

Well, either way, even if it was a strange and obscure toast, it was a truthful one. She took a good swig or two.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

Bankotsu was laughing again, and Sango was merely smiling at the crude joke towards the annoying bugs. But now, Bankotsu's intoxication was different. He wasn't as childish and merry as before.

Sango gazed at the man's face, having only the moon's light shine on his features. His face muscles were sterner, and much more tense. Was it the night? Did it affect him?

To Sango, the night was like home. She took a good whiff of the familiar night air. The taijiya remembered just how home-like night could be, but even though, night could still be quite tricky.

Night takes away your most trusted sense, your vision, and makes you see things differently from what you thought they were, based on your other senses. To her, that's what night was, and by saying it's a nostalgic feeling to Sango, she meant she had been made to get used to the feeling.

She wondered if Bankotsu was a night person as well.

Before Sango could even ask, Bankotsu was finished talking and had yawned, obnoxiously stretching his arms all around.

"Aren't you tired? I'm exhausted."

As Sango looked at him through cinnamon brown eyes, she smiled thinking just how amazing it was how this man could hold his liquor. Sure, he got drunk after a couple bottles of sake—in which most men got totally drunk and out of it after their finishing of a second bottle—but not only that, he hadn't even passed out or vomited like she was expecting. Having gotten used to her village's old and quite senile men, Sango was sure of either symptom being reality after the second or third bottle of sake.

But this man practically inhaled the drink and just took some of the side effects.

Maybe he's had enough reasons to practice holding his liquor. That was usually the case with men and their 'special' abilities. It was the depressing aspects like that that usually gave people the ability to hold liquor.

"Not me, but you can go to sleep if you like."

"No need to say it, in fact I think I'm dreaming right now…" He lay back down on the grass, crossed arms under his head like a pillow. His eyes shut easily, for he was obviously tired.

"Night."

"Sweet dreams…" Sango whispered.

"Don't say that," he smirked, "now you'll just jinx me."

**oooo0000000oooo**

And there we go! Sorta a cliffie, sorta not.

PLEASE Review!


	4. I'm Sorry

13 pages, yay!

I went to a party last night. I cant get a song stuck out of my head. It's an insane dance song. HELP.

By the way, i have another recomendded reading for you all.

**"Where the Heart Lies" by Chigirl**

Fantastic. And it has several implications of coupling that all include Sango!Has:  
San/Ban !Yay!  
Sessh/San !Ohh!  
Inu/San !Oh, angry! lol

SO GO CHECK IT OUT! Its in my fave's list, go find it! NOW!

**ooooo000000ooooo****ooooo000000ooooo**

"Aw… damnit…" Bankotsu moaned under his breath, rubbing his aching head.

Sango, who had just noticed that the mercenary had woken up, looked down at him. "Oh, awake already? I was expecting the sun to set before you finally opened your eyes," she remarked sarcastically. It was probably midday.

Bankotsu glared up at the woman, noticing she smiled in return. She was packing a few of her belongings into the small nap-sack she carried around. He didn't even know she had any belongings. Standing up, with the help of Sango's humble hand, Bankotsu groaned at the pain his head was giving him.

"That's to be expected. You drank all the sake," Sango said, knotting the sack in a bow.

The man managed a small smirk. "You say that like you wanted some."

"And wake up like you one morning? I wouldn't risk it."

Bankotsu stretched, letting obnoxious mewling sounds come from his mouth. "Besides the headache, I feel quite rested."

She didn't respond as she attached the sack to her attire and grabbed Hiraikotsu. Truth be told, she hadn't woken up much earlier than he did. Just early enough to finish packing by the time he woke up. During that time, he had woken a couple of times, or at least his eyelids had fluttered several times. She knew he was probably filled with rest, and his body was giving him signs to wake up—if he wanted to. But Sango could have guessed he'd like to sleep in.

"Was I amusing? I heard I'm a pretty interesting drunkard."

"Well," she looked at him, amusement lacing every word of the following, "I learned you find miso soup very, very interesting. And that you want it so badly that you'd use the legendary Shikon no Tama's wish to get it."

"…"

Humiliating.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

They were traveling now, on their way to the next village that they might come by—following Bankotsu's deranged directions. But because of Bankotsu's troublesome headache, that Sango learned put him in a bad mood, an aggravating attitude emerged.

She had distanced herself about ten feet ahead of the annoying mercenary, but it didn't seem to help. With him still in hearing range, it would be hopeless.

"Sango, what the hell, we were supposed to be here now."

He hasn't been paying attention to the trail, obviously. Loosing track of time, the man was just a drag.

"Oi! Woman, I've been talking to you for a while now and you haven't even answered back yet."

Sango's teeth were gnashed, and probably horribly damaged as she grinded them raw.

"Damn it's windy. What's going on with that, huh? Is winter coming already?"

Completely lost track of time. Definitely.

A sudden poke to her back and Sango was sent sprawling to side with a scream and shivers going up her spine.

"You alright?" Bankotsu asked roughly, quirking an eyebrow up at her bewildered form.

"How… I… you were ten feet behind me last time I checked," Sango breathed, getting over her shock. She set a hand on her chest to try and calm her racing heartbeat.

"I caught up."

"Obviously. So? What did you want?" The woman began to walk again with the mercenary at her side.

"I was lookin' for a reaction. You, being all quiet and stuff, it's so annoying!"

Again with the whining.

She sighed aloud, hoping he'd get the idea that HE was the aggravating one.

The silence that accompanied that distressed sigh meant Bankotsu had dropped it, at which Sango was glad about. Maybe there would be more silence following… and more… and more!

"I was sure the village was around here somewhere…" Bankotsu mumbled under his breath.

Sango's hope dimmed. A girl could dream couldn't she?

The woman, resigned, turned her head to the mercenary. He had a slightly fed up look on his face, as if annoyed with the headache and the journey. The man's back was slouched as Banryuu sat on one shoulder, one hand holding the hilt in place, while the other hand pinched at his aching temple.

"I'm sure it'll come up. Is the headache really that bad? We could stop for a while."

Since when did she care if he was in pain or not? Wasn't Kohaku more important now? But even realizing this, she didn't take back her words—which made her start to question her sanity.

"No, I'll be alright." He gazed at her out of the corners of his eyes and grinned. "Although it's very nice of you to care so much."

"…Keh!" Sango sneered. "I-I-I don't care. You actually think I would have stopped? I meant you could stop, and I'll just walk ahead…"

Did that sound rushed? Sango hoped it didn't.

Bankotsu looked ahead again, rolling his eyes as a scoff rolled off his tongue. "Ungrateful woman…"

His answer made her somewhat relieved.

It was a little later when Sango noticed the entrance of a village just up ahead and smiled, thankful that this just might shut Bankotsu up.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

The pair had spent a while in the town, having no problem walking around. It seemed as if this village was used to strange people coming and using the town as a resting spot for the while that they stayed. It was filled with beautiful inns and available houses as well as a large market.

They humbly asked around—or at least Sango did, while Bankotsu followed two steps behind, quiet and procrastinating with a visible bored expression—for Kohaku, a boy with short brown hair probably pulled into a tie atop his head and in a demon slaying suit while carrying around a kusarigama. All, unfortunately for Sango, had replied with a blatant 'No'.

Sango had promised herself this was the last person she'd ask before making time to find a fitting—and cheap—inn for the two to stay in. The taijiya stepped up to the woman manning the herb stand, hoping maybe if Kohaku were smart he had bought some medicines for his journey. And if he had, and passed through this village—this old woman would know.

"Hoh, what a pair of good-looking people," the old woman said sweetly as she noticed the two were heading for her.

Sango lifted an unamused eyebrow, hearing the woman's words, and stole a glance at Bankotsu, to find him wiping something from his pinky-finger onto his shirt with an uninterested expression and relaxed air to him. What he just wiped off, she didn't want to know.

Shaking her head, Sango peered at the old, and seemingly nice, woman and explained her situation.

With a courteous laugh, the woman nodded, making Sango's eyes widen and her heart flutter at the sudden feeling of hope that had suddenly sauntered into her.

"Yes, yes, I've seen the boy. I had asked him where he was going with all those herbs he bought, but he just replied South, in search of someone dear."

Sango had a joyous look on her face as she cradled her hand to her chest, wanting to hold the necklace he had given her, the necklace that had been snatched from her in a battle with a bear demon. Not only had she just heard that Kohaku was seen and knew of his directions, but she just heard him say something sweet about her. It wasn't like he hated her or anything; he was just very shy when it came to those sister-brother sayings. Sango had always let it pass, the way he blushed everytime she held him close and never returned his brotherly love with bold words as she did with him—but it seemed he was growing up.

By the look on the young woman's face, the elder dropped her smile and tilted her head. "Oh my, don't tell me you're the one he's looking for."

"Unfortunately. It seems we just missed each other then."

"How troublesome," the older woman replied ruefully.

Sango nodded. After, she thanked the woman very much, almost to the point of exhaustion and was led away by an impatient Bankotsu.

"Did you hear that?" Sango remarked cheerfully to the wearied Bankotsu. "He's just South of here."

"Yup."

"Wow." Sango gazed up to the sky. "How lucky it was to ask the woman on my last try. She was a lot of help…"

"Yeah. Although you know, who was the one who brought us here in the first place? Hm?"

Sango, not really in the mood to say anything pessimistic or sarcastic, smiled up at the man. "Yes, thank you, Bankotsu."

The mercenary smirked, appearing rather smug at her words. "You're welcome."

As they walked through the streets, Sango thought about it, he really did bring her to the right place… and really, maybe he wasn't so untrustworthy after all…

**ooooo000000ooooo**

Bankotsu pouted childishly, looking over his shoulder at the extravagant inn across the street.

"I hardly think we'll be able to pay for THIS inn, Bankotsu. There would be no way we'd be able to pay for that one…"

"But…"

Sango glared at him over her shoulder, quieting him…for now.

The two were waiting for the boss to come out, having asked for him. They obviously didn't have enough money, and if maybe they could talk to the boss of this inn, they could at least try to bribe or haggle.

"Yes?" A balding and chubby man appeared from having swept aside a purple curtain. "You requested me?"

Sango smiled politely. "Yes sir… I… actually… well, my name—" She had never tried to haggle before.

The man rudely cut her off with a wave of the hand. "Don't care. State your business and move along, stuttering wench. I've got things to do and air I wouldn't like to waste on you."

Sango was taken back by the man's crudeness. He was the owner of a nicely maintained inn, and probably had many people to deal with. How did the _people_ deal with him, though? But it seems she wasn't the only one noticing the man's behavior.

Bankotsu leaned close to her ear from his position behind her—having let her be responsible of talking to the man—and whispered, "Told you we should've just killed him at first sight and taken HIS room."

Soon, once Sango hastily tried to explain their little lack of money, the man was sent in hysterics—laughing so hard that his large stomach rippled in waves, making the two warriors disgusted. He only laughed even more after they showed how much they actually had. With the man's short haori on, exposing the white-skinned, dark-haired belly of his, they both noted that the man should be a bit more modest.

Sango hated to admit it, but it was men like this that made her enjoy Bankotsu's presence, and image, a lot more than usual.

"You seem thrilled, I'm glad you'll agree to let us stay the night," Bankotsu remarked, an edge in his voice.

If anything, the man started to laugh even more.

The two exchanged murderous looks before waiting until the man was finished.

And once he WAS finished…

"NO!"

"Oh, please, sir—"

"NO!"

"Please!" was Sango's sad attempt at something to counter with.

"I said… NO!" The man looked as if he was enjoying this.

Bankotsu poked his head over Sango's shoulder. "Open for bribing? She'll make you a happy man," he stated plainly with a poke to Sango's temple.

"Excuse me!" Sango yelled, enraged.

"Hah. Please, I'm married." But ever so slickly, the man's eyes scoured her form for a second or two. "Well…" He leaned in close. "Maybe when the wife leaves for a day or two—"

Sango didn't hesitate to slap the man harshly.

Instantly, Bankotsu grabbed her hand and pulled back, apologizing to the man with a sheepish voice. He started to take the roll of negotiating once he stepped in between the man and Sango, not knowing which one would need the protecting.

"How about this," Bankotsu said once the man's red handprint healed off his cheek. "We make a little attraction to this inn for viewers to watch, like a little show, and earn the passage in with their money offerings. All extra money goes to you. Deal?"

Sango stepped up. "That doesn't sound like a deal, Bankotsu. That sounds like an offering of our sweat for some run-down room!" But Bankotsu moved her away from the thinking inn-owner's space.

"…Sounds good."

The two shook on it, ignoring Sango's protests.

"So what will you two be doing then?"

"That's what I would like to know!" Sango exclaimed.

Bankotsu gave the two curious people a charming smirk. That never meant anything good.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

This was something Sango didn't expect so randomly, since she hadn't done this—shamefully—in a while… but yet, even as she stood there, sweating, with her heart racing in her chest, she'd have to agree this was a fun idea.

The crowd cheered for them, and by the look on Bankotsu's face, he too was enjoying this.

Sango saw him coming closer once again and she prepared, loving the feeling of her adrenaline rush and her heart beat quicker. Bankotsu came at her harder, thrusting faster this time.

When she did this with him, it seemed so much more interesting. And having such a crowd watch them do this was exhilarating, especially since she usually did this in private.

Sparring was probably one of her favorite things to do.

The crowd screamed in glory once Hiraikotsu and Banryuu clashed, igniting a small spark between the two. Her father always said once the two opposing weapons collided, not only did their weapons clash; everything the fighters have put into themselveswill clash. Their ego, strength, and pride.

Right now, as brown met blue in a heated gaze of matching strength, the two were at a whole different high. Only warriors could describe a fitting spar as nirvana. That's where they were, a place where the crowds were silence to their ears, and they could rely on the other to parry their attack. But they came to that nirvana together, and only one could leave victorious… who would win?

**ooooo000000ooooo**

Bankotsu stood straight and tall, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of one hand while the other was handing the owner of the inn a sack of extra money they had earned. Surprisingly, Sango saw a fitting smile on the mercenary's face.

"That was quite a show," the balding man said after pocketing the sack of currency. "Not many visitors that come to this place show off their stuff. It was thrilling to see you two in action…"

Sango laughed, finding it amusing how his attitude had changed completely. As beads of sweat poured off her exposed skin, Sango felt somewhat giddy, recalling the spar a while ago.

She had come out victorious.

"_What the—" Bankotsu yelled out as Sango surprised him by ditching out of the match of strength when Banryuu and Hiraikotsu clashed. The sudden movement made Bankotsu lose his balance and launch forward—only to be met half way by Sango's momentum-gaining knee._

_He was jolted back a bit, only to see Sango drop her weapon and grab Bankotsu's neck in her grip. He had tried swinging Banryuu at her, but she jumped high enough to land ON the large-faced sword, bringing it slamming to the ground under her feet once she landed. Bankotsu was forced to let go of the hilt unless he wished to be brought down as well. And through that all, this woman had only strengthened her grip on his neck even more._

_"How, appropriate..." Bankotsu grumbled sarcastically with a wicked smile, grabbing at her hand reflexively. Sango merely smirked, giving him his own signature look, before letting go and announcing the self-proclaimed winner._

Bankotsu seemed to be taking it well for some reason. He always appeared to be the sore-loser-type to her. What if…

'What if he LET me win?' Sango thought, eyes shifting from one side to the other as her eyebrows furrowed. 'I mean, it would make sense. There were a lot of men in that crowd…and I would surely receive more money offerings than he would if he won.'

Before she could ask about it, the manager spoke up once more once a young woman came to his side. Unlike him, she had a beautiful face and attractive body, even if it was a bit skinny in Sango's eyes.

'But why would he want the owner to have more money?'

"It was nice working with you two. My daughter here will bring you to your room."

Sango followed after Bankotsu as he followed after the owner's daughter.

She noticed the seductive look the daughter was giving Bankotsu, and was wondering if any more women out there had their decency anymore. With a roll of her eyes, Sango entered the room the young woman led them to while Bankotsu stayed in the doorway, conversing with the girl.

Sango started working her way through the room. Moving the two futons apart—far apart, much to her liking— Sango had already decided she didn't want the mercenary sleeping anywhere near her in a place where couples usually did the opposite of being separated. As the woman started to unpack, she could make out some words being exchanged between the said mercenary and the young woman at the doorway.

Before she could put the words together, Bankotsu dropped off his Aibou and yelled over his shoulder that he'd be back by nightfall. Sango also caught the quiet, "…maybe," that came from his lips before he slid the door shut behind him.

It wouldn't take a genius to know where he was going. Sango had heard about a small get together being held. It involved sake, and people from the village.

Sango knew Bankotsu was probably running to get there.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

It was getting dark already, and Sango was sitting on a chair near a window, staring at the setting sun's effects on the sky. She was rather lax, slouched and eased as she rested against the sill of the window.

The sky was always so wickedly hypnotic. It was just so interesting to her; she knew she could stare at it for hours. She thought it strange that no matter how long she stared at the sky in the afternoon, she would never be able to realize the sky was changing color. Only when she'd look away for a moment, Sango would realize that when she looked at the sky—it was blue, and when she looked away—it was a dark orange with many varieties of red, pink, and dark purple.

Of course, this wasn't the first time she realized this fact.

"_Oi, Sango?"_

_"Yes?" Sango, lying on her back turned her head to stare at her brother. But he kept his eyes on the sky._

_"…Have you noticed? The sky changed color."_

_The two siblings were resting from a day of chasing and running, hiding and searching. Each had fallen to the grassy top of a hill in a fit of giggles and laughs. With both of their chubby and childish arms and legs spread out and unmoving, the two held a perfect image of simple relaxation. They hadn't spent the whole day with each other in a while, and it was fun to be in each other's company—the feeling was very much missed._

_Sango laughed at her brother's words, "Well of course it does, silly. It's supposed to, or else you would never see the difference between night and day, morning and afternoon."_

"_No… I mean, did you even notice while you were watching it? I mean everyone knows the sky changes color… but did you realize it while it was happening?"_

"…" _Sango gazed back up at the sky, now finding the clouds a light pink. "I… no, I didn't. Wow, and we were watching the sky like search dogs for a while now! That's amazing!" Sango exclaimed as she sat up, never tearing her view of the sky away._

_  
Kohaku laughed at his elder sister. "The sky seems to want to trick us. How sneaky!"_

_Sango's head suddenly turned towards Kohaku, making her hair move like a whip. Kohaku laughed at the look she was giving him, knowing her funny expressions were always the most hilarious. He loved how she could spontaneously give him a funny look and send him into, what she called, 'a giggling bundle of Kohaku'._

_Sango laughed at the sound her brother's laughter, instantly letting the air out of her inflated cheeks. It was always the 'fat and bloated' face that made him laugh the hardest. _

He was only 4 then, making her 9. Somewhere deep down in Sango's being, she wished she could go back to those childhood days where they could do everything and anything—just for the sake of laughter. Where they could _laugh_ at everything and anything—and not be questioned about it.

Of course, being at the fresh age of 18, Sango was told to banish those silly thoughts as an older, more mature, version of Sango. She was a young woman now. But even so, this_ young woman_ just wanted to live as freely as she could during her days as a kid. She thought everyone thought like that, but her relatives and neighbors proved her wrong—preaching to her things that clearly told her to grow up and be a woman.

Her musings had made her eyes blur and see the images in her mind instead of life infront of her. Once she regained her focus, the sky had changed to a much darker shade of afternoon sky; signaling the entrance of nighttime. Sango let out a tired and quiet sigh.

She wouldn't mind going to sleep early tonight.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

Sleep had been so close.

Once she hit the bed, her body seemed to protest. Sango was sent into a restless mood, making her turn and twist from side to side quite often, rustle the sheets to the point where she was sure no one would be able to take the wrinkles out, and fix her blanket to her liking—which appeared to change every few minutes—so much that she just decided to spare the blanket it's life and throw it in the corner.

And now, as she lay motionless and very close to sleep, Bankotsu came sauntering in. Shoving the sliding paper-made door to the side, and no doubt making a loud sound, Sango wondered if he was drunk.

Most likely.

Sango felt herself start to wake again, so she just decided to give up. The woman turned in her futon and looked over her shoulder at the man about to collapse onto his own futon.

"Are you drunk?" was her first question. It was then she heard her voice, and noted it sounded tired and quiet and still had a roughness to it that she usually had when just waking up.

"No."

That woke her up.

Sango fully turned over, laying on her side and facing Bankotsu. As she lifted her arm so she could let her head be held up by her palm, Bankotsu launched into the story of _why_ he wasn't drunk.

By his relaxed position of laying on his stomach, arms and legs sprawled around him carelessly, Sango thought his story just might be boring, especially since his voice was so leveled and his expression seemed almost tired and in need of sleep. But actually, it was rather action-filled.

"So once I arrived, I drank."

"Surprising."

"Of course me, being an expert at the topic of sake, noticed how different this town's sake tasted. I didn't want to say anything, in case they took the sake away—but it was awful. Either way, sake was sake, so I drank some more and ended up asking about it anyway," Bankotsu explained, eyes slowly closing in fatigue.

At that, Sango laughed.

"I had happened to as the person in charge of the sake, and the woman explained that all the sake in this town had been watered down."

"Watered down? Like they add—"

"Yup. Normal water, to sake. It's insane! So I asked her how much, and the woman explained how ¾ of every bottle of sake was water, because they wanted keep the violence out of the town.

I mean, now, it makes sense. A lot of travelers and samurais and such pass by here, and it would troublesome to have them drunk and cause a ruckus before leaving the habitants of this place the town to clean up. But, for some reason, I hadn't thought about that just yet, and made a fit about it."

"Sounds like you. Is that why you're here now and not drunk, instead of being here in the morning and completely drunk?" Sango questioned, which was answered by a nod from the mercenary.

"And now…" Bankotsu started again after a long pause, "for that, the guy we talked to before—"

"The inn owner…"

"Yeah, him, he's kicking us out." Bankotsu snuggled a little deeper into his pillow. "Now."

Silent, his words didn't register to Sango as she stared at the mercenary, very plainly.

Of course, it hadn't taken too long before his words DID sink in…

Sango stood up from her futon angrily, to the point where steam was surely coming from her ears. "You got us kicked out for something as stupid as watered-down sake!"

"Mhmm…"

Words tried stumbling out of Sango's mouth at the same time, which didn't end up legible, making her seem like a stuttering fool. She immediately started packing her things and getting ready.

The pissed taijiya stole a look at the mercenary, only to find him still lying in bed, probably very close to sleep himself it looked.

SLAM.

Bankotsu sprung off the bed once her voice erupted into a yell to get up, accompanied by her pillow smacking into his head from a scary velocity.

Once he started getting ready, he had tried to ask her something when he finally learned that she was NOW giving him the silent treatment. Something he extremely couldn't stand. But also something he realized he'd have to put up with now, since she was just as stubborn as he was when it came down to these things.

On their way out, Bankotsu slyly reached inside the front table's drawer, finding the same sack of money he had given to the owner earlier that day. He took the sack, pocketing it with nothing but a mere smirk on his face and, "Thanks."

Sango watched that scene play before her, and noted that the mercenary had probably planned to take it from under the fat man's nose from the very beginning.

How… pleasantly sneaky.

**ooooo000000ooooo**

Sango had found a decent patch of earth to camp out on for the night. It wasn't too far from the village, just incase there'd be some use of the village's resources in the morning.

Currently, the woman placed her sleeping things around her and was preparing for sleep, as did the mercenary accompanying her.

She had given him the silent treatment for their whole small escapade of going form the inn room to the camping ground. She could imagine it bothered him by the way he tried to start conversation when it got too quiet. But as of late, her stubborn attitude wouldn't allow her to whisper even a syllable—as if punishing him.

Although, once they reached the camping ground and started unpacking, Bankotsu had given her space, even managing to swallow his words and keep quiet.

For that, Sango was thankful.

The taijiya pulled her covers over herself in an effort to keep warm whilst she slept and laid down to rest. Bankotsu noticed how she faced the direction opposite of him, giving him only her back to see.

"That's rude," Bankotsu remarked. But alas, he received no reply.

The man leaned back on his side and onto one elbow while facing the taijiya. He cocked a brow, sensing her sense him.

After another moment of 'sensing', Sango burst.

"What!" she spat, but didn't move to turn towards him.

"…Can't sleep." His eyes, unconsciously, dipped down her body; finding that even a female taijiya can keep up with her womanly curves. "What about you?"

"Trying," Sango hissed.

Silence.

"…Are you mad?" There didn't seem to be a bit of pout in his voice… but more like casualness.

"Am I not supposed to be?" Sango finally whipped around and sat up with an arm holding her up—at this, Bankotsu quickly averted his azure eyes to her face. "You took our only chance at sleeping in a nice place for tonight and threw it away because you decided to stand up for the SAKE'S rights as… sake!"

He too slowly lifted from leaning on his elbow to his palm. "Well, yes. That I surely did."

"…" Sango suddenly broke into a rueful smile. "And you admit it too. Insatiable, you are," the woman said under her breath before continuing in a more audible voice: "You like it when I'm angry? Can't get enough, huh?"

She looked from his face to the scenery before her, keeping her eyes on the field.

Bankotsu had decided that maybe this wasn't the right time to say anything more. It was obvious, by the look on her face; some things were trying to be calmed in that chaotic mind of hers.

There was a long silence between the two before he mumbled, "…Sorry."

Sango's head swiveled to look at him; curious she had actually heard him say _those_ words, sincerely. "What?"

"I said," he sighed, "I was sorry."

Sango blinked at him a couple of times. Did he really…?

"_No—you're supposed to say you're sorry!"_

"_Excuse you, miss. But I haven't said sorry, sincerely, to someone in ten years, and I ain't about to say it to you."_

_"Hah." Sango smirked. "I wouldn't believe that someone like you would keep such an idiotic tradition as that. What, saving it for someone special? Hm?"_

_She was teasing him now. _

"_Maybe—why? Jealous?"_

Sango was awoken from her reverie by Bankotsu's questioning stare.

"So? You accept or am I gonna have to take back my words?"

It seems he forgot he just broke his ten year agreement with himself.

She looked away, slightly embarrassed. "…Whatever."

"Oh," he sighed, content. "Good, then."

**ooooo000000ooooo**

You would think he'd admit to finally being able to sleep after becoming forgiven, but he just kept talking, probably _really_ not being able to fall asleep.

He talked, and she listened. When she talked, although it wasn't as much as he was doing, he listened.

Sango began to love watching him talk to her. She had never been asked to listen, or talk, for that matter. Sometimes it just came, long conversations, when she would be around her younger brother—but no one else. Not even her friends back home sat with her like this and listened, especially not in the middle of the night. To her, this seemed a little deviant and abnormal. Which was really what Bankotsu was.

She loved hearing his stories, for they were quite different from other stories she's heard. Sango could tell he liked to talk, and unexplainably a statement her maid had said to her one day came popping into her head.

"They say those who talk a lot only do so because they're never given the chance to. And once they are given the chance to utter a mere sentence to a listening ear, they explode."

She wonders if he was really alone for a long time, having no one to share his adventures with. She wonders if he likes it that way.

Sango was told at an early age to never ask about a person's past, from her father actually. Her father had gravely told her that not only would you bring up parts of their past they will be forced to remember, but you'll be butting into something that wasn't and never will be your business.

To lighter notes, Bankotsu's face changed expression quickly, making some of his stories humorous. Well, the humorous ones were funny—but sometimes he gave out more thrilling stories, which excited her taijiya blood to hear. Even so, Sango somehow found the more humorous ones more enjoyable—and not because they made her share a laugh—but because Sango loved it when that boy smiled.

Sango loved listening to his voice. And she became accustomed to the deep yet boyish sound of it. She found herself asking for more stories once he was finished with one, and whether it was just because she wanted his voice to listen to or she was actually curious, Sango couldn't possibly know.

Although now, it was quiet—probably meaning he had finished a story. And Sango, being ashamed for letting him be the only one talking in this conversation, thought up a question she was personally thinking for a while now.

"Well, I've been wanting to ask you this, and I've only grown more curious after our little show at that last village."

Bankotsu waited for her to continue.

"Obviously, you had let me win."

The man smirked. "Aw, well, I thought I was pretty good actor."

Sango chuckled. "No, no, you were—it just became obvious to me later on." She waved that off. "Anyway, what I wanted to ask was… you can probably beat me after a while of battle, why haven't you… you know…"

Not really understanding what she was getting at, he cocked an eyebrow up at her.

"Why haven't you killed me yet? You know, take my armor and Hiraikotsu and sell it. It's pretty expensive now a days, taijiya's are becoming limited."

Silence.

"Ooh…" Bankotsu suddenly rubbed at his chin. "That's an idea…"

It had been a small joke, but because of lack of laughter form the slayer, Bankotsu stole a glance at the woman to see her straight-faced; waiting for an answer.

The man sighed, shrugging as he started leaning down into his small sleeping futon.

Sango continued waiting for an answer, but only found his shrug to be his final word.

"You shrugged? That's your answer?"

It was Bankotsu's turn to turn away from her. He started to tuck himself in to bed, pulling the blanket up to his chest and closing his eyes—feeling Sango's hard stare at his back.

"Well, no. Honestly?"

"Yes, honestly."

"Honestly…" Bankotsu yawned, mumbling the rest of his sentence, "You're a lot more pleasurable company than my Aibou."

Her stare softened a bit. Sango sat there, wondering…

_Did he really mean that?  
_  
She too started getting ready to sleep by lying down.  
_  
Maybe…he too is good company._

_But he is still very irresponsible and is not to be trusted, at all. Correct? Correct. Okay. Now I can sleep._

Sango would have snorted at that part of her insecure mind that made sure she still kept her 'taijiya preachings of trust' close to her. It was as if she wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that maybe…

She was starting to like him.

Sango shook her head, almost fiercely. Of course not, how ridiculous. Like him? How could she even trust him? It was absurd, and grossly wrong, and insane.

Her mind quiet with its talk for now, starting to slow down and get ready for sleep.

Before she finally did reach slumber, Sango noted that after all this, she learned that in the end, even men like him need a listening ear and an opinionated mouth every once in a while.

**ooooo000000ooooo****ooooo000000ooooo**

_'You don't apprecia---te me'_

AH! SONG! STOP IT!

PLEASE review. I'm hoping for 10 reviews per chap, but i'm being lenient and updating after 7. SO PLEASE HELP OUT! Be that 10th reviewer to make me happy. (Wide smile)


	5. Cheating Truth by Cheating Death

Ohh, i actually got 10 reviews. Sweet. NOW lets try to all help out in getting me to review number _**50**_! REVIEWER NUMBER 51 and ALL THAT HELPED TO GET TO number 51 WILL BE REWARDED! Yay! I'll dedicate my new San/Ban fanart to all of you who review.

lol. Bribery. Only a jew could do that.

**oooooo0000oooooo **

Sango's feet failed her at that very moment, making her slow to a stop.

Had he just said what she thought he said?

Bankotsu, finding that Sango had stopped, gave her a curious look and halted in his run. Why was she stopping at a time like this? Bankotsu couldn't understand it.

"You………WHAT!"

**Earlier this morning.**

Sango's shoulder was moving on it's own, it seemed. Back and forth, back and forth, then a little harder of a shake…

"Saangoo!" Someone was hissing into her ear in a sing-song voice. "Oi, Sango!"

Her eyes blinked open, still in a slight squint as she peered up to the person trying to shake her awake.

"Bankotsu?"

The man smiled as realizing she was awake, "You know, you should really go to sleep earlier, you're starting to sleep in late."

Sango gave him a grim look before sitting up, brushing his hand of her shoulder.

"Are you in a hurry, then?" She asked sarcastically.

"Well," Bankotsu turned to look over his shoulder in his squatted position beside Sango. "Yeah, pretty much."

Sango followed his gaze to find a rather large fleet of soldiers jogging in an organized manner into the gates of the town they were just kicked out of. Their shoulders were squared and through the helmet's eyes she can see them searching. For them, almost obviously. Had they caught on so quickly? What kind of tracking did they use to find them that fast?

Her eyes widened. "It's the men from that village…the one who put us in jail…"

"They came looking for us."

Sango smirked, "They must really want your head."

"_I'm_ not the one who had slain their chief, miss. If you've forgotten." He retorted back.

With that Bankotsu helped the woman up and assisted her in packing their small amount of things, as well as disguising the fact that they had been sleeping there over-night by brushing the dirt and making it look as if the grass had not been mangled.

Sango, quite the perfectionist, was still trying to warp the grass into what it used to be when Bankotsu, irritated, grabbed her arm, pulling her in a slow run behind him. It caused her to almost collide into the man before she caught her footing and took her arm from his grasp, running at a pace to match his own. She followed him into the woods, leaping into the shrouds and twigs that defined the difference between plain and forest.

It seemed like déjà vu for Sango, running through the forest's same protection with the same running partner, with the same fleet chasing after them…for the same reason.

**oooooo0000oooooo  
**

Bankotsu and Sango made quick work to run through the forest's challenges without slowing down; jumping over fallen trunks, brushing away small shrubs and ducking under low branches. It would have been a lot harder if the weight of both rather large weapons weren't so custom to the warriors.

"Do you think they've found out we were there and are already chasing us?"

"I don't know, it wouldn't hurt to turn around check, you know."

There was a little pause.

Both knew that even though he suggested the idea of looking back so easily—both were a little apprehensive to do so.

She was starting to get tired, but it looked as if Bankotsu was beating her in that department. The man was beginning to slow down. Not only had he started before her in their little run through the woods, but now she was leading him. Maybe Banryuu was heavier than Hiraikotsu? Then again he was probably a lot stronger than her when it came to weight lifting.

"C'mon Bankotsu!"

The man scoffed aloud, "Well excuse me—but it's kind of hard keeping a conversation and running for your life at the _same_ time."

Sango chuckled as he caught up a bit.

"Alright mercenary," The taijiya started.

Bankotsu looked to Sango.

"If you were in all of those legendary tales and had all those people either hate you, admire you, or fear you—you'd have to have atleast _some_ skill."

"That's very nice of you. But honestly I don't see why you're saying this now…at this very specific moment…in this very specific situation."

Sango rolled her eyes, "What I'm saying is that this is a pretty tough spot we're in. It'd be nice if you could use some of that skill to…you know…get us out of it."

It was hard for Sango to subliminally admit she was incapable of thinking up a plan, but she had to admit, so far, Bankotsu was actually useful. Well, except the times he was drunk…. Although those drunk times, the man had thought of something interesting, yet effective, the first time this happened, gave correct directions toward where Kohaku might be, and even was clever enough to take enough money from the manager of the inn. Although all of those incidents weren't very spectacular, they had initiative and ingenuity behind it.

Bankotsu was making an interesting face, "Heh…that's all very nice and all, but I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

"…" Sango was starting to pant and her muscles started aching.

"What about all those stories—"

"Well ok, I've done this and that, but I really don't know what got me famous."

"Don't play dumb Bankotsu—you're the only man alive to be resurrected! You were that famous renegade mercenary who not only cheated death while alive—but escaped death after ALREADY being dead!"

Silence, except the sound of their labored breathing and padding of feet as they ran.

Breaking the quiet, the man started to laugh.

"I didn't know everyone believed in that."

"Of course everyone believed it! It was the most amazing, and possibly scary, thing that's ever happened around our area."

Bankotsu thought about what she said, "I see…" He seemed skeptical. "Then maybe that's why people believed in it? Rumors only spring from boredom, you know."

Sango gave him a lame look, "Then are you saying that never even happened, or what?" Of course it happened, Bankotsu just loves to talk and couldn't come out and say it. Right? "You've never died before?"

"Hah. Nope, I've never been resurrected."

Sango couldn't believe what she was hearing…

"Infact…I've never even died before." He appeared to think about it for a second, "Well, atleast I don't think I have." "…Er…I _hope_ not."

**Current time**

Had he just said what she thought he said?

Bankotsu, finding that Sango had stopped, gave her a curious look and halted in his run. Why was she stopping at a time like this? Bankotsu just couldn't understand it.

"You………WHAT!"

That…that story had been so famous! So legendary! Especially since the victim, Bankotsu, was just _so_ young!

"Are you serious?"

Bankotsu nodded, about to retort when…

"HALT RIGHT THERE, MERCENARY!"

They had found them.

**oooooo0000oooooo  
**

Following Bankotsu's sudden orders, Sango started to back up into the bush behind her and hide. And because he wasn't doing the same, meant it was all her fault.

If they had just kept running, if Sango hadn't insisted on making such a big deal of learning her childhood story was actually false, then maybe they could have hid effectively.

Sango watched through narrowed eyes as four men surrounded the mercenary, strapping shackles around his wrists.

Bankotsu was smirking at the men, appearing fine and mellow.

"Heh, walking through the forest all alone, and you weren't even aware of us—is that really the way of a mercenary?"

This startled Sango, had they not known she was there?

But Bankotsu simply shrugged, answering with one of his witty comments earning both angered and confused reactions. The usual reaction. But by the look on his face, it was as if Bankotsu had already figured out Sango was hidden to them.

Sango thought about where she was standing just a second before, and realized she had been scarcely hidden by the trunk of a tree that was obscuring the guard's view from seeing her. Again, Sango felt guilty, wondering maybe if they were standing differently, Bankotsu could've been hidden too.

Right now, Bankotsu wasn't even pretending she existed. He never turned to where she was hiding, nor did he make little clues disguised as normal movements she could possibly pick up from, or even make the smallest of eye-contact with her. Even as the guards turned to leave with Bankotsu trailing behind them, he just stared at the ground, looking rather bored.

Once she was sure they had all left the forest completely, Sango emerged from her crouched position in the bushes and looked at the path back to where they had taken Bankotsu.

They're probably going to take him back to their village and schedule a public beheading.

…Sango's legs itched to move and follow Bankotsu. They even twitched, but something else was holding her back.

It was her other half, the half that didn't believe Bankotsu could even be useful to her. The ruthless mercenary was just as untrustworthy as any killer—so why should she risk her neck and her search for her brother for the man she had just met a couple of days ago?

But her _other_ half tried explaining just how many times he had risked his own neck and saved hers. How his companionship, she had to admit, actually grew on her.

Sango's head fell a little as she thought about what to do…where to go.

Whom to chase after.

Suddenly, her eyes adjusted to just what she was looking at on the forest floor.

An incredibly messy arrow pointing North, and knowing the broken campus his mind carried—he probably meant East, that she was sure of.

It'd be where he wanted her to go…right?

Breaking into a laugh, Sango realized just how silly that sounded. The mercenary didn't care if she chased after him or her brother, he wouldn't hold grudges—he just didn't care that much. Bankotsu wasn't a sentimental thinker like that. If anything, he was wondering just how much food he'd probably steal on his way.

That somehow relieved her of her worries for him. Even though she knew if she had thought long enough, she'd find a hole in her thinking.

Of course, it did scare her that she even worried for him. But…for now…that thought will have to wait as she took off into a jog, going East.

**oooooo0000oooooo  
**

Bankotsu sighed, aloud, and quite obnoxiously.

"Oh shut up, rogue."

His eyes swiveled to the guard, "May I ask you a question?"

Before the man could even answer, Bankotsu started.

"Alright so…no, wait, let me put this in an example you'd understand…hm."

Silence.

"Oh ok, I got it. All right so let say theres this lovely looking sword, but there are so many other swords, you know? So this lovely one doesn't exactly catch your eye."

By the way that the guy didn't answer, Bankotsu could guess he wasn't much of a talker.

"Don't worry about talking, just listen." The mercenary murmured under his breath sarcastically.

"Anyway, so this particular sword doesn't catch your eye. And you're given a chance to try one out for a while. Just for kicks, you try this lovely sword out—and it's great. Heck, it even saved your life once. But you keep reminding yourself, there are a lot more to try out…so you don't hold onto it that greatly."

"…"

"Listening?"

Surprisingly, the man gave a slight nod.

"Right…so during your trial with that lovely sword, you really start to like it, you know, the feel of it, it's weight, the swiftness of each strike—you've gotten used to it. When it's time to let it go…what do you say to the man who lent it to you? Surely if you try to explain that you've fallen in love with it, you'd be ridiculed and probably not even given it to keep, sounding fool hardy. And if you let it go, you might never get a chance to…use it…again."

Bankotsu turned his head towards the guard beside him, "What would you do?"

He felt like laughing when the other two were found listening, and spoke their opinions.

"Well, personally I'd try to steal it." One man said.

"Noble man of the army, I see." Bankotsu remarked. The mercenary inwardly sighed, knowing his answer had nothing to do with Bankotsu's own, subliminal, problem.

"I'd tell the salesman how lovely that sword is to me."

Taking interest, Bankotsu replied, "Even though there'd be no way of getting that sword even though you've told the salesman."

"Of course, as long as the sword knows and the salesman knows how I think and feel—then I'm alright."

"…You do know that the sword knowing would be senseless because it's an inanimate object, right?" One guard answered with a chuckle.

The man simply shrugged. His eyes gazed at the young man out of the corner of his eyes, watching Bankotsu think about his word. "Only to some people."

"Besides, maybe one day, I'd be rewarded. If I show the salesman and the sword I'm worthy, then, hopefully they'll be able to accept me having the sword."

The other 3 guards laughed, "Daisuke, all those thoughtful things like that are plain boring around here. That's not what you'd do, and you know it!"

"Yeah, you've got a lot to learn!" Another responded.

Daisuke laughed as well, nodding in agreement. But from behind, Daisuke knew Bankotsu was thinking about the older man's words.

**oooooo0000oooooo  
**

The guard, Daisuke's, words sunk in a bit, letting Bankotsu wonder if this man was either a hopeless romantic or is really talking about a sword.

Bankotsu turned around, looking at the forest Sango had managed to escape in.

Usually, he'd have Sango by his side right now, having exposed her too—since it seemed fair to him in his own little mind, but something made him…satisfied…knowing that she was still in that forest, hiding or having found his small token of appreciation, aka the direction he was sure Kohaku was in.

Bankotsu turned forward again and sighed, playfully rueful, knowing that once the two siblings reunite, they just might forget about this poor old mercenary.

_Old? Well ok, definitely not old._

Finding that the guards had taken on a different conversation, Bankotsu started to think about the only person who came into mind.

He hadn't taken on a job in a while, and he didn't know why. Well, even though he's only known her for a couple of days, plus that long period of his journey with Kohaku, imprisonment, and then his small journey with Kohaku's older sister, all added together was a long time for Bankotsu to not take on a job. He was a mercenary after all; he should live up to that title.

This girl had seemed to change him, Bankotsu noticed.

He was doing things…for other people now. He was lying to keep the girl guessing, and loving it all the same.

**--Flashback to the inn—Bankotsu's POV--**

Sure, I had felt sort of bad for leaving Sango all on her lonesome in the room, but…

Well I just couldn't pass this up. I'm sure Sango would forgive me soon enough. Or maybe she was expecting it. Who knew?

Anyway, once the owner's daughter and I reached the bar, people started cheering.

"Oh? What's this?"

The girl smiled at me, "For your wonderful performance."

"Yeah?" I smirked, this looked like fun.

Time passed pretty quickly. I had only downed half a bottle of sake when even more people started filing into the bar-looking place. A few looked familiar, and I realized they were the same people that Sango had asked about her brother to.

Maybe this would be a good time to ask them again, maybe being a bit tipsy could help them and many others slip a bit of tongue.

Walking over to them, in their state of mind, was pretty easy. It was the conversation that tricked me up a bit. But damn, some of these people were pretty old to be drinking. Kami, who would've known? This town sure was strange. It was so…western. Well, I thought, as long as the taste of sake lingers on their tongue, they'll let a little information slip. Hopefully.

And slip they did. I couldn't believe how many had actually known something.

So far, I've collected that Kohaku was last seen in a village just East of here, but to get there, you should through the forest—which was South of here—and then make a turn going East, and it should be just past the shrubbery.

Sango will be happy to hear, that I knew.

Once I thought I collected enough for now, I walked back to the lovely bar and sat myself down, picking up the bottle of sake I hadn't finished. Thank Kami no one had touched it. Unless…someone did, and—oh whatever.

"Making yourself comfortable I see," Slurred a voice to my side.

I was pretty surprised to see the owner's daughter drunk. I laughed, wow, this woman was so damn drunk so damn quickly, her front was lightly open with her kimono slipping off her shoulders.

"Pretty much," I replied with a smile, taking another gulp of sake when she suddenly grabbed the bottle after I got my taste and took it from my hands.

"You know, they say too much sake is bad for young boys, shouldn't drink too much you young boy, tsk tsk."

Bankotsu chuckled, "I'm probably older than you."

"Oh?" She leaned in, and he could smell the heavy amount of alcohol in her throat. "So how much old would you be now?"

"Ladies first." I couldn't help but remark with a mischievous smirk. Do I lead people on? I've been told that once, by an, ironically, drunk woman about this girl's age, times two, of course. Oh well, I'll just pass it off as charm and let the women lead themselves.

Whatever that meant.

"Why, I'm only 20…with another couple of numbers…like—hiccup—like maybe two…I think…noo…wait, yeah."

"22?"

"Oh yeah…hey how'd you know?"

I tapped my temple, "Mental powers." I inwardly laughed my ass off at this lady, wondering if all people were this funny when drunk.

"Wow…" She put her chin on my shoulder, "can you use your mental powers…an-and do me a favor?"

"What would that be?" Closeness never bugged me for some reason. Sango, if I could remember, gets all twitchy and starts blushing…I love it.

"Could you…could you see if I really want to kiss you or not? It'd be embarrassing if you knew…"

"…"

"Oh, what? You scared your woman will be angry?"

Somehow that made my cheeks flush as I realized she was talking about Sango.

Might as well go along with it.

"Of course. She gives me the roughest beatings." The evil young man smiled wickedly.

The woman wasn't feeling much better. "Fuck her, that ugly, ugly woman. I'm ten times as beautiful as her!"

"If you says so."

"You don't think –hiccup—so!"

"Well…no." I hadn't meant to stick up for Sango there, honestly. I was just commenting on the young woman's looks…compared to Sango's.

The woman gave me a wild look.

Before I could even tell what was happening, she grabbed a fist full of my hair and plunged her bitter tongue in my mouth. It wasn't an awful experience, but I could imagine how much better it'd be if she didn't taste like Rice Wine—something I only had on days of mourning.

Suddenly someone else grabbed my hair, more particularly my braid, from behind and I was yanked off the young woman so fast I hadn't even realized she was completely on me.

The next thing I knew, the owner scolded me and his daughter—but mostly me, the proclaimed pervert, and was told I had before midnight to get out of his inn.

Like _that_ hadn't happened before.

I laughed, hearing the girl yell about how I haven't told her my age—name probably forgotten.

I yelled back a random number and was pushed the rest of the way out the door. Once I was on the street and on my way back to the inn room, I realized I had actually picked my real age to yell out. When it comes down to thinking fast—I always manage to fail for some reason.

_Me_, at the age of 26, was something _unbelievable_ amongst the crowds…they were always talking about some shit like resurrection and being such a young murderer—I didn't care to listen, which is probably why I hadn't really heard much of the rumors, or as Sango called 'legends'.

My story to Sango, my alibi –because for some reason for the first time in my life I felt the need to have an alibi-- about why we're being kicked out is pretty lame, so I started thinking of a new, fake, story on my way back. Either way, I'd be chastised—the only thing I could change was the amount of chastisement.

For some reason or another, I didn't want to say the reason I got the two of us kicked out was because of Sango's influence on me.

**--End Flashback and Bankotsu POV--**

**oooooo0000oooooo  
**

Sango stepped out of the forest, having found a village in a distance not too far from her—and still in nice view.

The woman had travel down a small hill before crossing a small meadow of long blades of grass and flowers. This placed look quite beautiful, and probably looked majestic by night. The wind around here brought cool and clean air, unlike the air from that last village. The other village was more busy-body and filled with people of all kinds, while this one seemed more peaceful and quiet…something Sango adored in small villages, for the one she and Kohaku grew up in was just like this one.

As she walked passed villagers outside the town tending to their crops, Sango noticed how nice the people were. This place would be wonderful to stay in…maybe Kohaku had thought the same? Maybe he was here…

_Or maybe he had just passed by, like usual, _noted her more pessimistic side.

Pushing that thought aside, Sango entered the small village and was greeted with smiles and welcomes by the guards and passing people.

"Wow…" Maybe this would all be different if Bankotsu was beside her. They, the villagers, would probably be a bit scared of his, and his 'Aibou's', appearance.

Well, Sango secured Hiraikotsu and held a steady hand on it's strap. She wouldn't get anywhere by just standing there.

Sango walked up to a guard standing by the entrance and smiled. "Hello,"

"Hello miss, are you staying?"

"No, no, I'm just passing by. But it looks like a nice and humble town."

"It is, thank you."

Sango nodded courteously.

"So…did you need something?"

"Ah, yes, actually I was hoping you had seen a boy…about this tall" She placed flexed hand infront of her chin—having remembered Bankotsu telling her how tall Kohaku had become, "He's got brown hair and eyes, and probably has hair held up. He could either be wearing a light blue short kimono or a black suit like this one," She took off her traveling kimono—not noticing the slight blush that was painted across the guard's face once she did.

"U-um, well that sure does look familiar."

Sango wrapped her kimono around herself again, "Really?" She asked, ecstatically.

The man nodded, but explained he didn't know where the young man could be. But he assured he hadn't left yet—or else he would know.

Sango thanked him before walking down the long path to the markets.

She couldn't believe how close she was to finding him. She hadn't seen him in such a longtime, a total of 5 years, and once she finished her elite demon slaying training after three years, she went off to go find him, which ended up leading her here—two years later.

He had left with her father while she was to stay with the village elders, being told Kohaku was going to get a special training with her father. Of course Sango had been jealous, and was told many times Kohaku should be the one jealous of her—for she was getting the most elite of training a slayer could go through. But that didn't phase her. The fact that Kohaku was with family and she was left alone is what made her become the melancholy girl she was at that young age.

Now at the age of 19, Sango noticed that Kohaku must be 15, since his birthday had just passed. Hers was coming quite soon, when she'd turn the big 2-0. So _technically_, she was 19—but she'd like to think of herself as 20.

Kohaku had left with their father when he was 9—his birthday coming in just a month at that time. The tragedy about that, is that 2 and a half years later, when Kohaku as 12, their father died. Sango had followed the elders to where Sango's father had died, and where Kohaku was supposed to be waiting, they found Kohaku missing.

He had run away, and left a small message for Sango in the dirt, saying he was fine—but he wouldn't be coming back. The 16-year-old young woman had cried for both men in her life leaving her alone, for good.

Once Sango finished that final year of training, when she went from 17 to 18, she left the training dojo and began her journey for Kohaku.

On her way, probably half a year later, she had found a small island along the coast of a village she just adored, and met a couple friends. They had told her that she's welcome to come and live on that island when she was finished with her voyage. Sango had been a bit apprehensive as to why specifically that island she chose to reside when everything was done, but when she heard rumors about it being a home for loners and small families, she decided that maybe it'd be perfect for her and her brother.

Now, exactly two years after she left the dojo, Sango was here, at a village she was almost sure Kohaku is in. All she had to do now was to find him, and even though this was a small village—it'd still be a tedious job trying to find him all on her own. She'd have to ask around, maybe someone had seen him or allowed him a stay at their home.

**oooooo0000oooooo  
**

Sango, after looking around, had donated hours of her time just asking people. And finally, it paid off.

The taijiya felt her stomach flutter as she stood infront of an inn, having been told Kohaku was staying here. Her knees twitched, almost buckling underneath her as she tried to contain herself.

"Kohaku's here."

With her hands shaking in their grasp on Hiraikotsu's strap, Sango walked through the doors to the inn.

**oooooo0000oooooo **

**I'm going to _answer_ some of my reviews. The ones that asked me questions i must answer. guffaw.**

**ToastLuver and Kitty-chan**: HAHA, man you guys are a pair. You remind me of my an my bff. Though i moved across america and we havent seen eachother since. ANYWAY, you guys are awesome, thanks for all your support.

**ManyFacesofSango:** Where's Kirara and Inu-gumi? Lol, they're coming dont worry. In a diff chapter. Kagome's not in it though--remember this is slightly AUish. lol.

**Never Surrender**: lol, the song? It's called 'You Don't Appreciate Me' by Amuka. You'll listen to it and be like wtf? But when listening imagine a dark room where the only lights are millions of strobe (rainbow colored) lights and two large white spot beams moving randomly on the dance floor, while a whole body of people are dancing and on stage are two sexy females dacing in skimpy clothing and an even SEXIER male dressed in black and netting (across his chest), lip sincing to this song. You'll love it.

**Demon Exterminator Barbie**: lol funny you say. I was actually having that song playing as i wrote that peice. You psychic...barbie.

And THANK you to:

**ChigirlTwinSOS  
Sango and Kirara fan  
TaintedAngel7  
ThisIsMyLifetoLive  
Premierarchange**

Who has also supported me!

EDIT: AND MANY MANY MORE! THANK YOU!

-Monica

PLEASE _**REVIEW**_! REMEMBER MY EARLIER NOTE! Up there, before the chapter starts.

**  
**


	6. It Smells of Reminesnce

Woo! Instead of 51--i got to number 52! How thrilling! I'm serious. ANYWAY, lets now go for 65! ANOTHER PRIZE IN STORE!

I cant beleive i've resorted to bribery. BUT ITS THE ONLY WAY!

Alright--for the pervious chapter, i told you i'm making a SANBAN fanart, right? WEll its ALMOST done! I would have waited till i was finished--but i wanted this out sooner.

Now, **IF YOU ARE REVIEWER NUMBER _65_**--You will get a fanart COMPLETELY made for you. It MUST be romantic, in the slightest, and must be a couple from Inuyasha. It doesnt have to be SanBan if you dont want. You get to pick the positions (oh lala) and everything! BE REVIEWER NUMBER 65, and ALL reviewers that help that special person GET to number 65 will be noted in the deviation as well! Yay! It can even be a scene from your own story if you like! If you've written one.

I hate myself for bribing. I really do.

**BY THE WAY: I have a recomendded read for yall again. Just lookin' out for my bored readers, hehe!**

Heres an AWESOME San/Sess story, which gets no credit at all! The girl's made 7 long-ass chapters, and only 14 freakin reviews! CAN YOU BELEIVE IT!

To put it in **ChiGirl'**s POV,** "People are out there literally begging for a good Sess/San, and when you give'um one, they act like their fingers are broken!" **

_**"Voices" by Faere**_

**GO READ AND _REVIEW! _RIGHT NOW! **It's in my Favorites.

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"Ah, memories." Bankotsu remarked, being brought down to the very same cellar he was held in before. He patted the stone wall on his way to his cell, just for emphasis, and was met with the extensive sound of echoing stone under his palm.

As the gate closed infront of him, his eyes looked to see the cell that used to hold all those men had a rather large hole blasted through the wall.

"So, what happened there?"

Daisuke the newest member of the village's fleet, who was told to escort Bankotsu down here, turned to gaze over his shoulder at what Bankotsu was talking about.

"Ah, that. That had happened before I came here, but I heard the village was attacked by a group of wolf demons, and an attempt to kill a wolf demon made the demon come blasting through this wall and the one behind you."

Bankotsu looked over his shoulder, finding the wall fixed nicely.

"Of course, when the word came that we were hot on your trail, they fixed up your cell." Daisuke chuckled.

"I'm guessing all the prisoners escaped nicely during then."

"Unfortunately."

Bankotsu's head fell, "How unlucky of me."

"True," The guard agreed.

"Might I ask why you all went looking for _me_, but didn't give a damn about the others?"

"Well, first of all, compared to the others you deserved the punishment the most." Daisuke explained, "And about the young woman I heard that was thrown in here as well, they investigated to find the slayer was right, the chief was possessed. So she was let off the hook."

"She'll be happy to hear that," Bankotsu smirked at the old man.

"You know where she is?"

"Uh—er—I mean she'd be happy to hear it if she knew." Bankotsu rolled his eyes, "Hah, like I'd follow around an adolescent like her."

"Adolescent?"

"She's much younger than I am. 19."

"19? And she had slain the village's chief? That's pretty amazing there." The man, probably in his late 40's, gave him a questioning look. "So how old would you be? You look too young to have your head wanted all around this area Japan."

"26."

"Oh?" Daisuke then laughed, starting to head for the stone steps up from the jail, "7 years isn't much anymore, you know. She shouldn't be called an adolescent by _you_. I've known men my age wedding little girls."

"…"

"These men you know, one of them wouldn't happen to be my executioner hopefully?"

Daisuke laughed, "No, no…"

"Alright well, I wouldn't want the last person I see to be a man like that."

Daisuke shook his head, a small smile on his jaded features. "Bankotsu…" His hand grabbed Bankotsu's shoulder through the bars. "You're still just a boy yourself."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes shaking off the old man's hand. "Well, what's this _boy's_ punishment for killing over 1000 people and demons?"

"A public killing."

"Obviously."

"20 arrows and a beheading."

"Both?"

It was remarkable how easy that conversation came out to be. No excess emotion was spared. It was as if they were talking about something as trivial as the weather.

Daisuke nodded, walking up a couple of steps before waving him off and jogging up the rest of the steps.

A loud sigh erupted the one-manned jail as Bankotsu had a painful urge for some sake to fill the loneliness of this cell.

Bankotsu plopped down on the hard floor, having the power to find the comfort in such an uncomfortable surface. It never really mattered to him, he could get used to anything he's done before.

"Ohh!" Bankotsu was about to lay on his back when the image of a familiar dog with a key dangling in it's teeth came to his vision. There in the corner it was sitting.

The man scooted up to the bars, dangling his feet through the bars and holding a bar in each fist.

_'I cant believe I've resorted to this…'_

"Pst…hey doggy! Hey, come over here for a second! I can show ya a trick."

The dog's ear twitched, but otherwise hadn't moved.

"Er, ok…how did Sango do this?"

Bankotsu patted the floor…clapped…stomped?

No no…

Clap clap pat pat …bark?

No wait it was…

Pat pat clap—wait were there even any claps?

Ahh!

"Wasn't there a whistle involved?" Bankotsu asked aloud.

His lips formed a circle, as he had seen Sango do it and blew…

"Puuuu…"

"PUUUUU!…"

"Aw damnit,"

It didn't help that Bankotsu didn't even know how to whistle…

**ooooo00000000ooooo**

**Knock Knock**

"…Who is it?"

Sango froze, her hand lingering over the sliding door in a fist.

She had heard him…his voice…

"Hello?" He called out from behind his door.

'Open the door!' Sango told herself.

But she just couldn't will herself to do it. The manager had led her right here, right infront of Kohaku's room. The only thing that separated the two siblings was this door, and all she had to do was slide it open…

'_Oh but his voice…it's getting so much deeper than I remembered…'_ Sango reminisced.

"Is anyone there?"

Sango suddenly heard him stand, and her hand shot out from her statue-like stillness and thrust the door open with a slam, having been frightened.

Silence…

"Ane-ue…?"

Sango just couldn't believe it…after 5 years…all she could see was a young man only _resembling_ her dear brother.

In one hand he held his Kusarigama while the other hand held a small cloth—he had probably been cleaning it. Kohaku was tanner, and his hair—in the ponytail—reached the base of his neck. It was obvious he had grown out of his blue kimono, so he wore his slayer suit. The boy's eyes still held their shy innocence, and that was something Sango noticed hadn't changed, and she was glad.

"Kohaku…"

"Ane-ue!"

Sango saw him drop his Kusarigama and run up to her, giving her a bone-crushing hug.

"Sango!"

Sango, still in shock, slowly wrapped her arms around the boy.

No, not a boy, a man.

Once they pulled apart, Kohaku noticed there were unshed tears in Sango's eyes as she smiled at him.

"You've gotten so tall, Kohaku." The woman choked. The top of his head came to her eyebrows.

He laughed, "But I haven't caught up yet, I see."

Sango joined him in the laugh, "Oh but you will. Ah!" She hugged him again, "I just can't believe it! You're here! In my arms again! Oh…I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Ane-ue…"

Sango pulled away but kept him in her arms, "Why did you run-away?" She said in a low voice, "Why did you leave?"

"…" Kohaku didn't seem to have an answer ready at that moment. He looked indifferent as he thought about his answer…

"I just—"

"It's alright Kohaku," Sango embraced him once again, "just make sure you give me a solid answer later, okay?

They stood there embracing eachother for a while, both having missed the feeling of their older/younger sibling to hold. Both missing the other's smell and feel, and both missing the fact that they really had a sibling.

Sango laughed, noticing how mother-like she was acting now. Wiping away any tears that managed to fall, Sango tugged Kohaku with her to sit on the bed.

As both siblings plopped on their posteriors with a laugh, Sango smiled in delight.

"So…? Tell me ALL about your travels. I bet you've got so many stories."

"Haha, where do I _start_?" The boy giggled, feeling comfortable to do such a childish thing only in his sister's presence.

As Sango listened to her little brother, she couldn't help but notice just how handsome he's gotten. The boy-turned-man was just so charming.

For such a small kid, he sure had a lot of stories. His tales ranged from people he's met to thing's he's killed. Sango believed what made a person grow was their experience. Kohaku's experience made him grow unbelievably fast. She just couldn't sit there without amazement coating her eyes.

Before the two knew it, the sky had darkened and the civilians were getting ready to enter their homes. But the two Taijiyas didn't even _begin_ their main tale yet. Ignoring the night sky's time telling, Kohaku continued with his most recent stories, which Sango noted had mostly been accompanied with Bankotsu.

Sango smiled, "So that must be when you paired up with Bankotsu, you keep mentioning him so much."

Kohaku nodded, a proud smile on his face. "I know it is a scary thought, to be traveling with the infamous Bankotsu—but it actually wasn't so frightening. He's not as terrible and coldhearted as the legends say."

The woman gave him an all-knowing grin, "Oh really?" As if she didn't know herself.

"Yeah! And actually—he's a sucker for sake. Not only will he do anything to not pay for his own, but he's such an idiotic drunkard…"

Kohaku rocketed into stories of Bankotsu in his drunken stage. Sango was surprised by the amount of tales he had with the mercenary, but she couldn't forget that they had met much earlier, and traveled together much longer than _she_ had with the mercenary.

Kohaku then started explaining how Bankotsu tried to introduce Kohaku to the world of Sake and Women. At this, Sango blanched, and before she could scramble to her feet and punish her brother for such foolhardy thoughts, Kohaku assured her that he hadn't done anything regrettable.

What he did do though, remained a mystery.

"Lastly, Bankotsu and I came to a pretty popular village and heard a rumor of a 'large youkai-bone boomerang wielding taijiya woman" He took a breathe after saying the long chain of descriptions "looking for a boy who looked just like me, characteristics wise. So when I realized that you might be looking for me…I backtracked to try and find you."

Sango shook her head with a soft smile, "You know two people looking for each other will never find eachother."

"They can only find each other if one looks and one waits, I know. Or else they'd just chase eachother's trails. Father said that once. But I just couldn't help it."

Sango nodded at the distant memory.

After the short period of silence Sango broke the ice with a rushed question.

"So, do you…did you even find out what happened to Bankotsu afterwards or did you split ways and never see each other again?"

"Once I left, he continued forward. After that I lost track of the man."

Sango smirked at her brother, "And this is where I come in."

With a confused look on his face, Kohaku listened as she started her own tale.

Once his sister mentioned that she and Bankotsu met in a jail, Kohaku jumped up from his seat.

"Really! That's amazing…how weird is fate to have us both meet the same man one after the other!"

Sango laughed at the boy's outburst, albeit agreeing all the way.

Her tale was much shorter than Kohaku's, having been only a couple of days ago did all those aspects occur. He noticed most of it was a little vague, but Kohaku didn't question. She had decided to stop at the part right after she found out Bankotsu was never resurrected, keeping out that Bankotsu was arrested and being taken back as they speak. By the time she finished, both siblings were laughing.

"Haha," Kohaku chuckled, "That sounds exactly like Bankotsu."

Sango agreed with a nod of her head.

"So, you found out Bankotsu was never really resurrected, huh?"

"Yeah," Sango chuckled at the memory. She had acted so foolish…

Kohaku then went into the story of what really happened to Bankotsu. Sango was shocked at how easy Bankotsu had gotten out of the grave.

It turned out he was buried alive, while the people who did it told everyone the troublesome mercenary was dead. When Bankotsu appeared the next month with a smirk and sake, everyone proclaimed he had been resurrected.

"…Wow. Climbing out of a grave? How much sake did you have to buy for Bankotsu to tell you _that_?" Sango laughed.

"Eh, a lot."

"I bought him all my money's worth and all I found out was that he found Miso Soup very, very interesting."

The two shared a laugh.

"That's all he told you?"

"…Well…" Sango then explained, in a shy and hesitant voice, about that night when they both just talked. Talked as if they had been friends for a long time, as if they knew eachother like they knew no other.

"…" Kohaku had lifted a perplexed eyebrow at his sister once she finished, noticing the streak of blush on her cheeks.

Alright, so he hadn't seen or been with his sister in 5 years, and he had to admit that in those five years she sure has grown, physically and mentally—but even so…it seemed as if he knew something that his sister was intending to keep to herself. Like some sort of…sibling connection…

"Have you…" He started, gaining his sister's attention, "…Have you fallen in love with him?"

_Almost_ instantly, Sango had to get rid of the shock first, the woman opened her mouth to protest when Kohaku beat her to it.

"Actually, it wouldn't be TOO absurd. I mean, even though he's a mercenary, he isn't such a bad guy."

Sango listened, watching with wide eyes…

"Remember," Kohaku pointed an index finger, knowledgeably. "Bankotsu's a mercenary…not a relentless killer."

**ooooo00000000ooooo**

Bankotsu growled at the dog, as if trying to out-bark it.

"Ahh! You're so…I HATE YOU! Stupid dog, GO TO HELL! I'LL KINDLY LEND YOU A HAND, YOU MANGY…FUCK…AHH!

The dog almost seemed to…smirk…

Noticing this, the last fuse in Bankotsu's head broke. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, RELENTLESSLY!"

**ooooo00000000ooooo**

Sango was shaking her head, "Still!" Her eyes penetrated into Kohaku's deep ones. "…I…I don't! How can I love him, ugh, you're so…. How could you say that! I would never even THINK--"

"You're being defensive."

"I AM NOT!"

Kohaku had rolled onto his back, laughing by now. Sango kindly, as a good sister should, took a pillow from the bed and repeatedly smacked him over the head.

By the time they had both calmed down, Sango too was laugh while Kohaku was complaining at how much his stomach hurt, claiming he had probably lost a couple pounds.

"So," Kohaku started with a smile on his face, "Where _is_ the formidable knight anyway?"

Sango's mirthful features fell into solemn ones."…He…"

Seeing the suddenly pained look on Sango's face, Kohaku asked, "What's wrong? Ane-ue?"

"You see…right after I had found out that he was never killed and resurrected, guards came out of no where and saw Bankotsu. But they hadn't seen me. So he told me to hide and I did…but he was taken…"

"And is probably going to be…killed…"

Sango nodded gravely. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't going to say anything after I noticed how much you like the guy…"

Kohaku shrugged it off, "You say that like we're not going to go rescue him." The boy stood up.

Her head snapped up as she stared at him. "Well…how…of course I was going to go save him!" Sango stood as well. "Just not with you trailing along! It's going to be dangerous!" She placed a hand on his head, but he wiped it off with a scowl.

"I'm 15 now, Ane-ue! I can take care of myself…and you, too! I haven't been traveling by myself for nothing."

Glares and stares penetrated the room between the two siblings. Time would tell what the decision was...

After another few moments of pure silence…

"Fine. But let's hurry, if we're late, by the time we get there he might already be dead."

**ooooo00000000ooooo****ooooo00000000ooooo**

Yay!

**Review Answerings**! (Not everyone, just 4 this time. I only answer if you've made the review longer than the normal 2/3 sentances of 'UPDATE!'(especially if you are a fellow San/Ban writer), or if you're an aquantince, OR if you've asked a question--and i have the need to answer you!) (Smiles, even if i'm unfair.)  


**Kaoru-Chan:** NO! I have definitly not. DEF NOT! I'm really sorry, i'm just soo damn busy--emailing takes forver, So i speed-beta my own work, send it in, and do whats next on my list of life. I've been so busy as of late, start of school and everything--but i have to be in school a week early for sports. It just really sucks. I'm really sorry, and i'm still able to beta anything you've got, if you need it. I also hope you get over your writers block! In a week or so i can help you out with that, but for now my friend i've resorted to my own sucky version of betaing until my schedule opens up. I love you! Dont bawl! lol, bawl.

**ToastLuver: **Ahaha...man i love your reviews--your just a a damn funny person. You know that? Of course you did. ANYWAYs, i really hope you liked this chap. I tried focussing more on drama than hilarity. Lol, must have been a pain to read. Luv ya, Tluver! You're so cool.

**Kitty-chan:** For some reason i love your reviews the most out of everyone's (SORRY GUYS, KITTY'S JUST THAT COOL). Lol i didnt know why for a long time, and i just reread your reveiws and somehow loved it the best. Woot! Yuo rock, and i thank you for the vote of confidence! Hope you liekd this chappie, i made it for you guys!

**ChiGirl:** Ah. Here we go. I just must come out and say, that i love you. Lol your reviews are so reassuring, and so into the story--it makes me feel great that you even read. I'm SEERIOUSLY thankful. BY THE WAY, i really liked this story 'Voices' by Faere--and was wondering why the hell no one reveiws for it, so i looked up the reviews and saw you already complaining about it! I abstolutely love how you stated that, "People are out there literally begging for a good Sess/San, and when you give'um one, they act like their fingers are broken!" That was awesome. But i eally get where you're coming from...so i put tha story as a recomendded read! I'm just that nice. lol jk. Anyway, thanks! You ROCK.

**_I cried_ when i saw i had 52 reviews. **I really did. You guys, you REALLY make me happy. Which is why i always come back here. And even though that was a lame sentance, i really meant it. lol.


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